Two lighter ships capsize, one stuck on char in Bay

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A clinker-loaded lighterage vessel sank in the Karnaphuli estuary at Chittagong Port Friday midnight. All the sailors were rescued but the ship could not be salvaged until Saturday morning due to the rough sea. — FocusBangla Photo

CHITTAGONG, Aug 18 (UNB): Caught in surging waves in rough sea amid a fresh low over the Bay, two lighter ships with cargo capsized off the seaport's outer anchorage while another ran aground in Barisal Saturday.
Port sources said 'MV Feroz Farzana', carrying 700 tonnes of cement clinker, sank in the water at Karnaphuli estuary while returning to the port with clinkers unloaded from a Korean ship at the outer anchorage at about 4.00 am.
Twelve crew of the ship were rescued by trawlers and boats while MV Feroz Farzana was sinking.
"Port's two tugboats, Kandari-1 and 2, tried to locate the sunken ship several times to salvage it, but failed due to stormy weather," one official said.
Port Radio Control sources said the 500-tonne-capacity lighter vessel was 'overloaded', thus quickening its capsize.
A Dhaka-bound oil tanker named 'MT Saima', carrying 13,000 tonnes of fuel oil, also sank in the Sandwip Channel at noon as the calamitous weather conditions continued to prevail.
The tanker ship sailed from Patenga tank terminal in the morning and fell in trouble at about 12:30 pm.
Port tugboat Kandari-3 rescued all the 12 crew, following SOS sent out by the men in danger due to the shipwreck.
Meanwhile, another oil tanker was caught in strong wind and ran aground at Ramdaspur in Barisal district early in the morning.
The Khulna-bound 'MT Rajanigandha', with 11,000 tonnes of fuel oil, got stranded on a shoal at about 5.00 am. The lighter ship could not be salvaged till the writing of this report at about 3.00 pm, Port Radio Control sources said.
Thirteen crewmen of the ship were rescued by a port rescue team from Khulna.