CHATTOGRAM: A lighter vessel capsized with 1,700 tonnes of wheat in Bhasanchar area of the Bay of Bengal on the outer anchorage of the Chattogram Port on Thursday (Jan 24).

The wheat-leaden ship was hired by Bashundhara Group. 

Twelve crew of the vessel ‘Khwaja Baba Faridpuri’, were rescued while another one remained missing. Drives to trace the missing person are going on, said Md Selim, deputy director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).

The Narayanganj-bound vessel got stuck due to poor navigability and sank in the Bay of Bengal one nautical mile east from Bhasanchar during high tide at 11:30am, he added.

The BIWTA official also said members of Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard have already started search operation to rescue the crew. A ship of BIWTA has left Chandpur for Chattogram to mark the accident spot.

BDST: 1810 HRS, JAN 24, 2019
RS/SMS