Ship carrying 1,200 tons of goods sinks near Ctg Port

A ship carrying 1,200 tons of goods has sunk near Chattogram Port after suffering a mechanical failure at the estuary of the Bay of Bengal and the Karnaphuli River.

Authorities have confirmed that the incident has not disrupted traffic in the nearby port channel.

Sources at Chattogram Port said the lighter vessel MV Jayan experienced mechanical problems on Friday night. While being towed toward the shore on Saturday morning, it sank near Patenga beach. The vessel was transporting raw materials.

Port Secretary Omar Faruk said that the ship had loaded 1,200 tons of ceramic raw materials (ball clay) from the outer anchorage and was headed to Dhaka. The entire cargo was lost when the vessel sank, but he emphasized that other ships in the port channel are not affected.

Kazi Mohammad Shiblu, operations officer of Jayan Shipping Lines, the vessel’s owner, stated the ship’s steering system failed around 8 pm on Friday, followed by engine problems. The vessel remained stationary overnight, but more than half of it submerged while being moved toward the coast the next morning. All 13 crew members aboard were safe.

MA Rony, secretary of the Lighter Workers’ Union, added that the ship ran stranded near the Naval Academy, causing the hull to rupture. Water entered through three hatches, and eventually, around 90 percent of the vessel sank.