Lighter vessel sinks in Bagerhat

A lighter vessel carrying 800 tonnes of cement clinkers capsized in Pashur River along the Sundarbans in Bagerhat early today.

The vessel, MV Sheba, with nine crewmembers went under water at Harbaria point of the river after its hull developed a crack around 12midnight, our Khulna correspondent reports quoting Moniruzzaman Khan Babu, owner of the ship.

All the nine crew members were rescued immediately after the incident, Babu said.

The vessel was taking clinkers to a cement factory in Khulna after unloading the material from a mother ship called MV APPICPI, he said.

Decision on salvaging the vessel will be taken later, he added.

Operations of other ships in the channel remain normal, Waliullah, Harbaria port master, told the correspondent.