Island discovered off Pakistan’s Balochistan province

ISLAMABAD - Fishermen in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province have discovered a three kilometre-long island in the Arabian Sea after their boats ran aground on it.

At least 100 fishing boats were stranded after their vessels hit the island in the sea near Hangol town of Lasbela district.

President of the Fisher Folk Forum, Muhammad Ali Shah, said: “The island emerged out of nowhere in the sea and the fishermen were stuck in mud there.” “More than 100 fishing boats that were stranded in the sea for several days had to be rescued with the help of authorities,” he said Friday.

Shah said “the same island had emerged at the same spot around 12 years ago before vanishing in the sea again after four months”.

Local people seem to believe it as a “divine show of power” and are giving donations at a local shrine to ward-off any untoward incident.

Hangol is part of the Gwadar coastline in Balochistan province, about 300 km west of the Pakistani port city of Karachi. Majority of the local population belong to the lower income group and fishing is the only means of livelihood.

The fishermen go in the deep sea and remain stationed there for several weeks.