Indian coast guards recover bodies of 10 missing migrants

Jan 1: The Indian Coast Guards personnel yesterday recovered ten bodies of suspected Bangladeshi and Myanmar workers, who while on the way to Malaysia were swept by tides to the shores of the remote Andamans Islands . Canadian CBS news network and a host of foreign wire services ran New Delhi datelined stories, quoting the coast guard inspector-general S P Sharma on the Indian islands, which said they discovered more bodies Tuesday, but were unable to reach them in a mangrove swamp, inaccessible by land. Choppy seas and heavy wind hampered approach by boat.  Officials believe more than 300 others were either missing or probably dead.   A 25-metre non-mechanised boat was found Monday adrift with 105 people in the Bay of Bengal, close to the remote island Chain, more than 1,370 kilometres off the India's eastern coast.According to the Indian Coast Guards, its personnel were battling strong wind and rough sea to carry out a vigorous search for around 400 missing Bangladeshi and Myanmarese migrants, who tried in vain to swim ashore, after jumping from the disabled boat Monday. Rescued survivors, taken to Port Blair, the Andamans capital, for shelter, food, clothes and medical care, told the authorities that the vessel carrying more than 400 workers, had set sail from Bangladesh for the Malaysian job market via Thailand, where a guide for the second leg of the journey was supposed to be picked up, Sharma said.Remaining stranded at sea for at least 13 days, aboard the ill-fated boat adrift, 300 of them jumped into the waters spotting lights on one of the islands. Sharma said they had no independent confirmation as to how many people were on the boat, but that the rescued survivors were in a grim state.The overloaded boat had no covering to protect the passengers from the harsh sun, and food and water were inadequate, he said."Some were unconscious, all dehydrated and in a state of shock, traumatized, both mentally and physically," said Sharma.The boat had lost its mast in the rough weather, he said. Earlier in the week, he said, two other survivors were found alive, one of them who had reached the shore told the police about his fellow beleaguered travellers out in the sea.The coast guards, he said, would intensify the rescue efforts for the others. Survivors said that before sending them back to the sea they were detained by Thai authorities for illegally entering their waters.But Thai officials denied having pushed them back into the sea. Speaking on condition of anonymity a Thai police officer said Tuesday night that 91 people were detained in the southern Thai province of Ranong , where they were discovered on a beach Monday. But, he allegedly declined to share further details.It was not immediately clear whether the people, detained in Thailand, and those found afloat-off the Andaman islands, were not different. The bodied of seven, who died during the journey, were put into the sea, the survivors allegedly told officials. The missing men are believed to be between 18 and 60 in age. Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told the news agency on Monday that India , Myanmar and Sri Lanka had been requested for rescuing the ill fated people. Besides, he said, in a general appeal the support of other neighbouring countries were sought for lending all possible support to the beleagured.