Two lighter vessels carrying 3,000 tonnes of cement clinker capsized in the Bay of Bengal near Bhasanchar due to rough sea.

The two vessels -- MV Titu-18 and MV Titu-19 sank when they were caught up by stormy wind around 11:30am while going to Narayanganj from Chattogram Port, said Belayet Hossain, executive officer of the mother vessel’s local agent Litmond Shipping.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Deputy Director Mohammad Selim said, one of the vessels started sinking in the rough sea after water entered into the vessels when a crack developed on its bottom while the other tilted on one side.

The accident occurred around 20 kilometres off from the Bhasanchar land area while staffs of both the vessels managed to run aground, he said adding that both the vessels went almost under water around 1:30pm in the high tide.

According to the BIWTA official, rescue vessels of Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard rushed to the spot and managed to rescue all the crewmembers of MV Titu-18 while the rescue operation was going on till filing of this report around 7:00pm.