Coal extraction begins from capsized cargo vessel near Mongla port

Published at 06:00 pm March 7th, 2021

A cargo vessel in the Pasur River adjacent to the Sundarbans near Mongla Port

File photo of a cargo vessel that sank with almost 700 tons of coal in the Pasur River, adjacent to the Sundarbans near Mongla Port, on the night of February 27, 2021 Dhaka Tribune

The cargo vessel will be lifted after extracting all of the coal from it, says the boat master

The authorities have started extracting coal from a cargo vessel that capsized last week in the Pasur river at Mongla port.

A team from the Mongla Salvage Enterprise Company began the extraction process from the ship named MV BB-1148 on Sunday morning.

Sheikh Fakhar Uddin, Harbor Master Commander of the Mongla Port Authority confirmed the information to Dhaka Tribune.

Md Abdul Mannan, owner of Mongla Salvage Enterprise Company, said a team of 10 divers started extracting coals as per the agreement with Stern Carrier in Dhaka.

Also Read- Coal contamination poses threat to Sundarbans’ aquatic life

It will take a week to recover the coal from the sunken cargo vessel, he added.

Osman Ali, master of the capsized vessel, said the cargo vessel will be lifted after extracting all of the coal from it.

The cargo vessel sank at Banishanta area in the Pasur channel, one kilometre south of the Mongla port, on the night of February 27.

The incident occurred when the ship carrying imported coal of Eastern Private Limited was on its way to Nawapara in Jessore district from the Harbaria area of Mongla port.