Dhaka, Feb. 17 -- "The bodies were found floating on the beach of Chhera Dwip and Pashchim Para on the Saint Martin's Island during a rescue effort from Sunday to Monday," said Lieutenant Commander Nayem ul Haque, chief of the Coastguard's St Martin's station.

The victims, aged between 20 and 30, could not be identified immediately.

As many as 71 people were rescued alive after the trawler, carrying 138 people, sank 10 kilometres northwest of the island on Tuesday.

A large group of Rohingya refugees boarded two fishing trawlers from Teknaf's Noakhalipara on Tuesday to illegally travel to Malaysia, according to the Coastguard and local administration officials.

Later, one of the trawlers started to sink after an accident. Fishermen on ...