Bad weather plays foul

BIWTA team yesterday again failed to start its operation to salvage sunken fuel carrier MT Meherjan due to inclement weather.
The team on Sunday postponed start of the rescue operation as strong current of the Meghna washed away the indicator marking spot of the capsized tanker.
Imdadul Huq, director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), said they had to postpone start of the rescue operation for the second day yesterday due to adverse weather. He, however, said they succeeded in marking the location of the sunken vessel at around 5:30pm.
“Divers of the navy have done a lot to mark the location of the capsized vessel and one of them has become sick during operation,” he said.
Ashraf Hossain, deputy director of BIWTA, said if everything remains okay, we will again try to start salvage operation. A navy team from Chittagong will also join us, he added.
Success of the rescue operation greatly depends on the availability of favourable weather, sunlight, speed and nature of the river current at the spot, said the officials engaged in salvage operation.
Salvage ships MV Hamza and MV Rustam, their tugboats, and MT Jaal Kumari, an oil tanker belonging to the owner of sunken tanker MT Meherjan, are waiting for favourable weather, current and timing to start the salvage operation, said Rafikul Islam, assistant director of BIWTA and commander of MV Hamza.
MT Meherjan carrying around seven lakh litres of fuel including 1,27,552 litres of patrol and 5,62,479 litres of diesel sank in the Meghna River Wednesday night after it collided with an empty cargo vessel.