Chittagong, Aug 16 – Fourteen crew members who remained missing since a lighter vessel carrying 2000 tons of wheat sank in the Bay of Bengal on Saturday morning were later rescued by a fishing boat.
Zahid Hossain, manager (operation) of ‘Litmond Shipping’, said lighter vessel ‘MV Akhter Banu-1’ of Abul Khayer group carrying 2,000 tonnes of wheat sank near Hatiya in rough seas. The accident occurred at about 8 am, about 40 nautical miles away from Patenga sea beach.
“Thirteen crew members have been missing since then,” he said.
Coast Guard and Bangladesh Navy conducted rescue operations.
Public relations division of Coast Guard said one of their teams went to the spot but failed to reach the spot due to strong current in the Bay.
All the 14 crew members of a sunken ship were rescued from near Bhashan Char on Sunday.
Md Selim, deputy director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), said the 14 went missing as a cargo vessel – MV Akhter Banu 1 – sank amid strong current in the Bay near Bhashan Char on Saturday.
The vessel was on its way to Narayanganj from the outer anchorage of Chattogram Port.
Zahid Hossain, operations manager of Litmond Shipping, the shipping agent of the sunken vessel, said a fishing boat rescued all the floating crews and left them on the coast on Sunday.
Another vessel named ‘MV-City-14’ carrying 2,000 tonnes of sugar sank in the Bay near Bhashanchar in Hatiya around 9 am on Saturday, said sources at Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA). It was also going to Narayanganj.
All 12 crew members of the vessel were rescued with the help of another lighter ship.
Mohammad Selim, deputy director of BIWTA, said the ship rapidly took on water, more water than it could pump out, before capsizing.- UNB
