Authorities have rescued eight crew members of a cargo ship carrying 500 tonnes of fertilizer that capsized at Mongla port.
The ship capsized after a collision with a foreign commercial vessel at anchorage number 9 in Harbaria around 11.30 pm on Tuesday.
But the incident has not affected navigation through the channel, said Captain Shaheen Majeed, the port’s harbor master.
Cargo ship ‘Shahjalal Express’ proceeded towards Shiromoni in Khulna after loading fertilizers from another ship ‘MV Vita Olympic’ at Anchorage No.8. Visibility along the route is limited due to dense fog. The cargo ship overturned there and sank.
According to the port master, the fitness certificate of the sunken vessel was up to date. On Wednesday, a team of the Harbor Department was dispatched to ‘red mark’ the accident site.
Mizanur Rahman, Khulna branch manager of Vita Olympic’s local shipping agent Park Shipping, said seven sailors and a security officer on board the ship were rescued by the Coast Guard.