Key highlights:
- Time of incident: Friday (October 17) at around 8pm.
- Location: Patenga coast and Karnaphuli River estuary in Chittagong, in front of the Naval Academy.
- Name of ship: MV Jaya.
- Product: About 1,200 tonnes of raw material for the ceramic industry (ball clay).
- Cause: Water entered three hatches of the ship due to a burst bottom due to a blockage in the char.
- Consequence: The ship sank, but all the sailors are safe.
- Impact: There is no problem with shipping in the port channel.
The lighterage ship ‘MV Jaya’ carrying raw materials for the ceramic industry has sunk in the Chittagong port channel. The accident occurred at around 8 pm on Friday (October 17) at the Patenga coast and the mouth of the Karnaphuli River (in front of the Naval Academy).
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Chittagong Port Secretary Md. Omar Faruk said,
বন্দরের বহির্নোঙরে সিরামিক শিল্পের কাঁচামাল (বল ক্লে) নিয়ে জাহাজটি ঢাকার উদ্দেশে রওনা হচ্ছিল। গতকাল রাত ৮টার দিকে জাহাজটি ডুবে গেছে বলে তথ্য পাওয়া গেছে।
Translation: The ship, which was carrying raw materials for the ceramic industry (ball clay) from the outer anchorage of the port, was heading for Dhaka. Information was received that the ship sank around 8 pm yesterday.
He also said,
জাহাজটি ডুবে থাকার কারণে চট্টগ্রাম বন্দর চ্যানেল দিয়ে জাহাজ আসা-যাওয়ার কোনো সমস্যা হচ্ছে না।
Translation: Due to the ship being sunk, there is no problem with ships moving through the Chittagong Port Channel.
Reason and background of the incident
M.A. Rony, secretary of the Lighterage Workers Union, said,
জাহাজটি পতেঙ্গা উপকূলের দিকে নেভাল একাডেমির কাছাকাছি আসার পর চরে আটকে এর তলা ফেটে যায়। এতে জাহাজের নিচ দিয়ে তিনটি হ্যাচেই পানি প্রবেশ করতে শুরু করে। একপর্যায়ে ডুবে যায়।
Translation: As the ship approached the Naval Academy on the Patenga coast, it got stuck in a shoal and its bottom cracked. As a result, water started entering through three hatches underneath the ship. At one point, it sank.
It is learnt that the lighterage ship, which was heading towards Dhaka carrying 1,200 tonnes of ceramic raw materials, developed a mechanical fault on Friday night (October 17). The ship was later put on hold. While the ship was being brought to the coast, the Patenga started sinking near the beach. However, all the sailors on board are safe.
Source: Samakal
