A cargo ship named “MV Ishra Mahmud” carrying 950 tons of fuel coal sank in Pasur river channel of Mongla port.
The accident took place in the Charkana area of Pasur river around 11am on Saturday.
The cargo vessel was loaded with coal from the Marshall Islands-flagged merchant ship MV Paras, which was anchored at mooring buoy No. 6 of the port. This fuel coal was being taken for a private company in Jessore's Nawapara.
Kazi Kamrul Islam, the master of the cargo ship, said: "They were en route to Jessore's Nawapara after loading coal at 7:30pm on Friday. The cargo ship anchored at Banishanta Bazar buoy of Pasur River. There, the ship's bottom cracked, and water started entering. The ship quickly moved away and began to sink upon reaching the Charkana area of the river. At that time, 11 sailors on the ship swiftly swam to the shore to save their lives. Later, the owner initiated the removal of coal from the cargo ship and transferred it to a barge stationed next to it."
Deputy Director of Public Relations Department of Mongla Port Authority Md Makruzzaman reassured the public, saying: "Although the cargo ship with coal sank in the Pasur river, the port's naval channel is safe and risk-free."
However, Sheikh Faridul Islam, the chairman of Save the Sundarbans Foundation, expressed concern about the coal shipwreck.
He emphasized that coal is a poisonous substance that, during tides, can spread to different parts of the river, causing serious damage to aquatic life.
Faridul urged coal-carrying ship operators to be more mindful and expedite the removal of the coal to mitigate environmental risks.