Sunken wagons still not salvaged

The railway authorities are yet to pull out three wagons of an oil-carrying train that fell into a canal in Chittagong eight days ago.

A private firm, Mainuddin Salvage, would join the rescue operation today, said railway officials.   

On June 19, the tankers, each carrying around 25,000 litres of furnace oil for Dohazari Peaking Power Plant from the port city, plunged into the canal when a bridge collapsed at Khitabchar of Boalkhali.

Later, oil spill from the wagons spread in the Karnaphuli through the canal, threatening the ecosystem in and around the river.

On Wednesday, more oil gushed out of the wagons when the authorities tried to lift them out.

Chittagong Divisional Railway Manager Mafizur Rahman yesterday said there was no fresh spillage of oil from the sunken wagons as the cracks on them had been sealed by Thursday evening.

Locals echoed the railway official and said thin layer of oil could be seen on the surface of the canal.

Mohammad Alamgir, an owner of a shop near Military Pool, around 6km west of the accident spot, said he saw light layers of oil in some places of the canal.

However, fishermen at Shakpura area, where the canal merges with the Karnaphuli river, claimed they did not noticed any oil flowing into the river yesterday. 

The railway relief train, which is being used in the salvage operation, is capable of lifting only 40 tons, said railway sources, adding the sunken wagons were much heavier.

The situation has forced the railway authorities to appoint the private firm, added sources.

The stronger relief trains of the railway could not reach the accident spot as they would have to cross the Kalurghat bridge which is too narrow for the trains. 

Railway official Mafizur confirmed that the firm would be involved in the rescue effort.

He said the firm using special equipment would separate the sunken wagons from each other and bring them towards the railway line.

From there, cranes of the railway relief train would pull out the tankers and place them on the railway line, said Saiful Islam, divisional mechanical engineer of Bangladesh Railway (east zone).

Mafizur said the private organisation had already started its preparatory works yesterday. 

Contacted, Mainuddin, owner of the firm, said they would begin their work today.

“Although we sought 10 days to complete the task, the railway authorities asked us to do it within five days,” he said.

Visiting the accident site on last Sunday, Bangladesh Railway Director General Amzad Hossain had said the salvage operation would end within seven days.

Meanwhile, like the previous days, locals scooped up spilled oil using nothing but their household utensils yesterday.

Hasan Imam, deputy manager (sales) of Jamuna Oil Company Ltd, said they bought 187 litres of oil from locals yesterday.