Surveyor sinks in Rabnabad channel of Payra port, 12 rescued

A survey vessel sank in the Rabnabad channel near Payra port in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali. However, 10 Indonesian sailors and two Bangladeshis aboard the excavated vessel were rescued unharmed. They are all healthy.

Between 3:30 and 4:30 pm on Monday, the vessel sank between Bay No. 5 and 6 of Rabnabad Channel. Fishermen engaged in fishing on the Rabnabad Channel saw the incident from a distance and rescued the drowned sailors. After receiving the news, two separate teams of Coast Guard Pigeon Port Contingent and Pigeon Port Authority went to the spot and brought the rescued sailors to Pigeon Port.

Capt. SM Sharifur Rahman, Harbor Master of the Pigeon Port Authority, said Jan de Null, a Belgian-based mining company, has been engaged in excavating the Rabnabad Channel at Pigeon Port for almost a year. The survey vessel of this company is 'Express-54'.On Sunday morning, as usual, the survey was being carried out between the 5th and 6th bars (at KP-33 points) of Sagar estuary of the channel. At that time, water suddenly entered the rear of the ship and the engine broke down and sank. The 10 Indonesian sailors and 2 Bangladeshi surveyors in the vessel fell into the river. Seeing this incident from a distance, the local fishermen rescued the floating sailors.

SM Sharifur Rahman further said that a five-member investigation team headed by Commodore M Mamunur Rashid, a member of the Pigeon Port Authority (Harbor and Marine) has been formed to determine the cause of the sinking of the vessel. The investigation team has been asked to submit a report within the next seven working days.