Two foreign commercial vessels collided outside Chittagong Port on Friday, causing water to enter the engine room of one ship, while the other tanker remained undamaged.
The incident occurred around 12:30 pm near the port’s outer anchorage, known as the Alpha Anchorage, when the Singapore-flagged bulk carrier MV Sunshine collided head-on with the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MT Sea Spike. No casualties had been reported.
Chittagong Port Secretary Syed Rezaeyat Hamid confirmed the incident and said that, after receiving the news, the port’s powerful tugboats, along with teams from the Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard, were deployed for rescue operations.
He said the privately imported 52,000 tonnes of wheat was being carried by the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Sunshine, which was anchored at the outer anchorage. At the time, the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Sea Spike was attempting to anchor when it struck the Sunshine with considerable force.
The collision damaged part of the Sunshine’s hull, causing water to quickly enter its engine room. The tanker Sea Spike, which was carrying 33,000 tonnes of gas oil (diesel) for Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), sustained no significant damage.
The port secretary said all of the cargo tanks on both vessels remained intact. No water entered the cargo tanks, and there was no oil spill.
According to him, water entered the engine room of the Sunshine through an approximately one-square-metre breach near the port-quarter section, resulting in a temporary blackout or power failure. However, the ship’s VHF communication system was kept operational with the assistance of an emergency battery.
Two anchors were deployed, with 10 shackles of cable released, to keep the vessel stable. Based on tidal calculations, the ship is expected to remain safely afloat even during low tide.
The port authorities said the exact cause of the collision will be determined following an investigation.