Coast Guard Rescues 182 Stranded Pilgrims Grounded On Ferry Off Kakdwip In Bengal

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Tuesday rescued 182 stranded pilgrims on board a ferry off Kakdwip in West Bengal, a statement said.

Merchant Vessel 'Swasthya Sathi' was ferrying about 400 pilgrims from Ganga Sagar Mela at Sagar island to Kakdwip when it ran aground due to extremely poor visibility, the statement issued by the ICG said.

"In a swift operation, the Indian Coast Guard rescued 182 pilgrims stranded on a grounded ferry off Kakdwip in West Bengal on January 16," it said.

After receiving a message from the South 24 Parganas district magistrate in the early hours, the operations team of the ICG swung into action and dispatched two air cushion vehicles (Hovercrafts) from Haldia and Sagar islands to provide assistance.

"The hovercrafts evacuated 182 pilgrims before guiding the boat with the remaining pilgrims to a safe destination," the ICG said.

"To ensure the safety of people during the annual mela, the ICG had already deployed sea-borne units at various strategic locations," it said.

The ICG said a rapid lifesaving team of divers, with a Gemini boat, is positioned at the mela site to deal with any eventuality.

"In addition, an officer from ICG Ship Frazerganj is positioned at Sagar Island for coordination with the state administration and supervision of seafront safety aspects," it said.

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