Three-Way Collision at Mongla Port Leaves Fisherman Missing

 

Bangladeshi authorities are searching for a fisherman who went missing in a three-way collision between his boat, a small coal carrier and an LPG carrier at Bangladesh's Mongla Port. It is the latest in a series of major casualties involving LPG carriers and tankers in Bangladesh.  

According to local reports, the LPG carrier Era Star was operating in the Pashur Channel, near Mongla Port, when it collided with the coastal coal carrier Mizan. The Era Star was largely undamaged, but the Mizan's hull was badly damaged and taking on water. 

All members of the Mizan's crew abandoned ship and made it successfully to shore; the vessel remained afloat, and the Bangladesh Coast Guard told The Business Standard that the owner has begun a lightering operation to move the coal cargo to another vessel. 

A small fishing vessel was also caught in the collision, and the sole occupant went missing in the casualty. The Bangladesh Coast Guard has identified the missing man as Lokman Harim, 27, and has launched a search with divers.

The Bangladeshi government plans to make significant dredging improvements to the Pashur Channel, shipping ministry advisor Brig. Gen. M. Sakhawat Hossain (ret'd) told Bangladesh's Daily Sun. The ministry wants to upgrade the port to handle far more containerized cargo and ro/ro cargo, and will be adding two new piers, augmented by channel-deepening work. 

The casualty at Mongla Port follows a series of serious explosions and fires involving tankers at Chittagong. Last month, a blaze broke out aboard two LPG carriers off  Kutubdia, Chittagong, forcing both ships' crews to abandon ship. One of the vessels was carrying a sanctioned Iranian cargo, according to the local energy brokers' association.  A blaze broke out aboard the tanker Banglar Shourabh on October 4, killing one crewmember, and a fire aboard the tanker Banglar Jyoti killed three on September 30.