Sixteen dead, 3,000 missing in Bay of Bengal storms

At least 16 fishermen drowned when their trawlers sank in storms in the Bay of Bengal and about 3,000 others were missing, according to reports today.

High winds triggered by a tropical depression in the Bay of Bengal caused sea surges along the coast from Sunday, weather officials said.

At least 16 fishermen were confirmed dead, the Janakantha newspaper said.

Families reported that about 3,000 fishermen aboard 200 trawlers were unaccounted for since Sunday, ATN Bangla TV said.

Government officials were not immediately available for comment.