Coal-Laden 'MV Fulbari' Sinks After Collision at Sundari Kotha in the Sundarbans, 11 Crew Swim to a Char and Are Rescued

A coal-laden cargo vessel, 'MV Fulbari', has sunk after being hit by another vessel, 'OT Jannatul Ferdous', at Hiron Point in the Bay of Bengal. The cargo vessel was carrying 1,250 metric tonnes of coal, loaded from a foreign commercial vessel, to Dhaka.

The incident happened at around 9pm on Monday (26 October) in the Sundari Kotha area of the Sundarbans. After the incident, 11 sailors and crew members made it onto a char in the Sundarbans. They were later rescued with the help of another vessel.

According to sources concerned, the cargo vessel had loaded 1,250 metric tonnes of coal from the foreign commercial mother vessel 'Yas Jupiter', stationed at Hiron Point in the Bay of Bengal near the fairway buoy of Mongla Port, and set off for Dhaka. On the way, at around 9pm on Monday, when it reached the area adjoining Sundari Kotha in the Sundarbans, a cargo vessel named 'OT Jannatul Ferdous' hit 'MV Fulbari' hard from behind. In the force of the impact, the coal-laden MV Fulbari, owned by IRS International, sank within moments.

Md Sujan, master of the stricken cargo vessel, said, 'After the accident, when the vessel sank, we swam and climbed onto a river char (in the Sundarbans). While we were there, we could hear tigers roaring. We had to spend that time in great fear.'

They were then brought to safety at around 11:30pm with the help of another vessel. Md Tuhin Islam, captain of the rescue vessel 'MV Rania-13', said, 'At around 11pm I learned about the vessel accident through a radio message. Then we went there and rescued them.'

The 11 rescued sailors and crew are Master Md Sujan, driver Prashanta Chandra Shil, sukani Md Shakil, greaser Prasenjit Roy, laskars Mehedi Hasan Bappi, Md Hossain Molla, Mohammad Oliullah and Md Sohan Sheikh, cook Mohammad Litu Sheikh, Nayan Sheikh and guard Anil Chandra Sana.

On Tuesday morning (27 October), the rescued sailors were brought to the Mongla branch office of the Bangladesh Noujan Sramik Federation.

Anwar Hossain Chowdhury, social welfare secretary of the central committee of the Bangladesh Noujan Sramik Federation, said the rescued sailors are currently staying at the noujan office. They will take steps for legal action and will take quick measures to salvage the sunken vessel. He claimed the port channel remains completely normal despite the accident.

Commodore Md Shafiqul Islam Sarkar, member (Harbour and Marine) of the port authority, said, 'The Pasur channel is completely safe and vessel movement on this route is normal. The owners are taking quick steps to salvage the sunken vessel.'

However, Md Nur Alam Sheikh, Pasur River Waterkeeper and coordinator of the organisation 'Sundarban Rokkha Amra', expressed concern over the repeated sinking of coal-laden vessels in the Sundarbans. He said coal-laden vessels are sinking inside the Sundarbans again and again, and this time too a vessel carrying about 1,200 metric tonnes of coal has sunk.

According to Nur Alam Sheikh, although the Mongla Port authority says the Pasur channel is safe, the World Heritage Sundarbans and the aquatic life of the Pasur River are not safe. Citing a recent research report, he said, 'The levels of heavy metals such as lead, copper and mercury in the bodies of fish in the Pasur River have exceeded tolerable limits. Coal and industrial pollution are the cause.'

He also said, 'Because of the sinking, there is a fear that the biodiversity of the Sundarbans and the aquatic life of the Pasur River will be harmed. Toxic coal may spread with the tidal water to different areas of the Sundarbans and the Pasur River.' He alleged that the Ministry of Shipping, the Mongla Port authority and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) are not playing a sincere role in protecting the Sundarbans, and that the indifference of the authorities concerned to preventing repeated sinkings of coal- and oil-laden vessels is pushing the World Heritage Sundarbans towards destruction.