The vessel was found as it drifted and touched BIWTC salvage vessel Hamza on the Kirtonkhola river in Barisal at about noon on Friday.

Informed by BIWTC personnel, police rescued the seven crew in senseless conditions and sent them to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital.

According to the rescued crew and police, M V Kafela owned by M/S Abdul Kader Navigation (M R no. 6102) loaded rice from

Nowapara ghat in Jessore and sailed for Hajiganj in Chandpur district Thursday morning.

On its way, it loaded more rice at

Daulatpur in Khulna and anchored at Gopalganj Thursday evening for a night halt.

It began its journey at about 4 am on Friday with a total of about 350 tonnes of rice in 1000 bags.

At about 6 am, a gang of armed pirates came in three trawlers and attacked the vessel near the Mukchhura crossing on the Madhumati river. The pirates threw three of the crew into the river, beat and tied seven others and locked them in the engine room.

The pirates took at least 175 tonnes of rice to their trawlers and sped away.

As the engine of the looted trawler was on, it moved on and touched the BIWTC salvage vessel Hamza in Barisal at about noon on Friday.

BIWTC personnel, not getting any response from inside, boarded the cargo and found the crew tied and locked inside the engine room. They informed police.

Police rescued the seven crew in unconscious conditions as they were severely affected by the heat and suffocation from poisonous gas at the engine room. They were rushed to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital.

They are Majibur Rahman and Khalashi Mehdi Hassan of Madaripur, Laskar Habibur Rahman and Toiab Ali of Gopalganj, Kanchan Ali of Vandaria in Pirojpur, Rubel of Madaripur and the rice carrying contractor Ashok Kumar Shaha of Chandpur.

Three other crew-Kabir, Salam and Latif -- are missing.

Police said a case would be lodged after determining under which police station the incident took place.