Two lighter vessels capsize at Bay
Two lighter vessels carrying total 2,900 tonnes of grains capsized in bay yesterday in two separate incidents. Both vessels were on their way to Narayanganj from Chattogram.
A crew member of one of the vessels remained missing at the time of filing this report.
A vessel, MV Khajababa Faridpuri, set off for Narayanganj in the morning, after loading 1,700 tonnes of wheat from a mother vessel at Chattogram port's outer anchorage.
While crossing Bhasanchar area near Sandwip, the vessel ran aground to a shoal around 11:30am because of shallow water, and tilted on one side, said Md Selim, deputy director (DD) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA). The vessel sank when high tide started, said the DD, adding that one crew member went missing while others were rescued with the help of Bangladesh Navy, Coast Guard, and staff members of other lighter vessels passing by.
Another vessel, MV N Islam, carrying 1,200 tonnes of corn, was hit by another lighter vessel around 2:30pm while crossing the same area.
A crack developed in the hull of the vessel, and it started to sink. The ship master drove it towards Bhasanchar coast and managed to run aground, but later the ship capsized as water entered into it, said the DD.
All 13 crewmen were rescued, he added.
A BIWTA vessel set off from Chandpur to mark the spots by anchoring floating buoys to avert further accidents, said Selim.
Comments