The Coast Guard has been doing a search and rescue operation to locate the missing fishing boats in the Bay of Bengal for the last 48 hours.
"We have ensured safe return of 18 boats with about 254 fishermen to harbour," officials said.
Apart from diverting its ships patrolling at sea, additional surface and air assets have been pressed into service to augment the search.
Forty four fishermen in three boats who were reported drifting have been located and escorted back to harbour, officials said.
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A fishing boat 'Dayamoyee' along with 16 fishermen has been located and found adrift 62 nautical miles from Sagar Island due to engine failure.
ICGS Anmol was directed to provide necessary assistance and tow the stranded boat to Sagar Island.
Coast Guard's regional headquarters in Kolkata is in constant liaison with the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) of Bangladesh.
CG ships and aircrafts are regularly sanitising the area and diverting the fishing boats to safety.
In the meantime, an ocean data buoy belonging to the National Institute of Ocean Technology was found beached at Frazerganj by the Coast Guard personnel of Frazerganj on August 5.
The high value data buoy was handed over to the representatives of NIOT recently and is being transported safely to Chennai, the officials added.
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