SM Parvez:
A cargo ship capsized and sank in a strong current at the Trimohana of the Padma-Meghna-Dakatia rivers in Chandpur, drowning about 5,000 sacks of paddy and rice. The accident occurred at the estuary of the Trinadi adjacent to Puranbazar in Chandpur city on Wednesday morning. It is feared that some traders will suffer losses worth more than crores of taka.
The driver of the cargo, Ershad Majhi, said that the cargo was coming from Pabna towards the Puranbazar ghat in Chandpur with about 3,500 sacks of rice and 1,500 sacks of paddy. The cargo suddenly tilted to one side after falling into the strong current of the Trimohana. Within a short time, water entered the cargo and it started sinking.
He further said that 5 to 6 workers in the cargo quickly understood the situation and jumped into the river and were able to swim to the shore safely. Later, with the help of locals, an attempt was made to move the cargo towards the bank of the Dakatia river, but by then most of the paddy and rice had sunk into the water.
Nazmul Islam, general secretary of the Chandpur Rice Traders Association, said that the sunken paddy and rice were the goods of at least 10 to 12 traders of Puranbazar. Initially, it is estimated that they have suffered a loss of about one crore taka. The traders concerned are preparing a list to determine the exact amount of damage.
Local residents said that for the past few days, there has been strong current and hostile weather in the Padma and Meghna rivers. The river route has become risky due to intermittent rain and gusty winds since Wednesday morning. In such a situation, the risk of an accident has increased as the cyclone in the Trimohana has taken a more severe shape.
Upon receiving the news of the accident, naval police and local administration officials visited the scene. In addition, discussions have been held with the concerned parties regarding the assessment of the extent of damage and possible measures to salvage the cargo.
The concerned parties have urged the drivers of riverine vessels to exercise utmost caution during adverse weather conditions and strong currents. The traders have also demanded necessary assistance in salvaging the damaged goods and further strengthening of safety measures in the risky waterways of the Trimohana to avoid such accidents in the future.