A Bangladeshi barge sank in a river in India’s West Bengal, South 24 Parganas district. It hit a pontoon jetty, damaged and submerged by Cyclone Amphan, said officials of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).
The incident occurred early Monday morning in Namkhana on the Hatania-Doania River, according to the officials, reports PTI.
Local administration rescued all 12 on board the barge M V Prianka, upon receiving an SOS call from the vessel.
The left side of the barge was fully submerged in the river, officials informed.
The river barge was taking a cargo load of about 800-900 tons of fly ash from Budge Budge jetty in West Bengal, to Bangladesh. It was sailing in low tide and hit the submerged pontoon jetty.
Had the state administration marked the area, the accident could have been averted, said a barge operator.
