Oil-tanker sinks in Sundarbans\\\' Shela River

An oil-tanker carrying 350,000 litres of furnace oil sank in a river in Sundarbans west zone in Bagerhat district on Tuesday. Mongla Coast Guard’s Contingent Commander (West Zone) Captain Mehedi Masud said that ‘OT Southern Star 7’ capsized after it was hit by a cargo vessel in Sundarban’s Chandpai Range around 5:00am. ‘The oil is spilling off in the river,’ he said adding ‘7 of the crew manage to swim ashore but the ship’s captain Mokhles is still missing.’ Quoting the owners, a Coast Guard official said that the ship started for a power plant in Gopalganj on Monday afternoon from the Khulna Old Depot carrying 357,664 litres of furnace oil. ‘OT Southern Star 7’ was anchored in Shela River in Chandpai Range at night. It started around 5:00am amid dense fog. After a while an empty cargo vessel ‘Total’ rammed it from behind.’ The cargo vessel was heading to Chittagong after unloading at Bagerhat’s Mongla Port. Eight crewmen including captain Mokhles were on board ‘OT Southern Star 7’, said Md Gias Uddin, the manger of the oil tanker’s owning company MS Harun & Co, according to a news agency.