Body of sunken oil tanker\\\'s master found

The body of the master of sunken vessel ‘OT Southern Star 7’ has been recovered from Shela River in Badamtala in Sundarbans West Zone. Mongla-based Coast Guard unit’s Contingent Commander (West Zone) Captain Mehedi Masud, forest officials and the district fire brigade and civil defence sources said that the body, recovered from Shela River on Sunday morning is that of Mokhlesur Rahman, the missing master of oil tanker OT Southern Star 7 which capsized in Shela River after it was hit by another cargo vessel in Chandpai Range in Mongla Upazila of Bagerhat district on Tuesday. He said ‘7 of the 8 crew at OT Southern Star managed to swim ashore at 5am on Tuesday after the oil tanker tilted to its one side following the accident but the ship’s master Mokhlesur Rahman could not come out of the vessel. He remained missing in the last five days,’ police, rescue workers and forest officials said. Quoting Md Giasuddin, managing director of the firm MS Harun & Co that owns the oil tanker, said a body was seen floating in the Shela River in Joymoni area around 6:00am. He confirmed that the body recovered from the river today will be that of Mokhles. The body was sent to a local hospital for autopsy, according to private TV channels.