A triple-deck launch and a portion of the Barisal port were damaged when another triple-deck launch anchored at the port early Tuesday.
Witnesses and launch and port authorities said triple-deck launch MV Suravi-8, playing the Barisal-Dhaka-Barisal route, during anchoring at Barisal port at around 4:00am hit the backside of the earlier berthed triple-deck launch of MV Tipu-7 of the same route.
No causality was caused, but at least eight passengers on board of the vessels and pontoon, received minor injuries, structure of MV Tipu-7 and pontoon were damaged in the incident, said Md Shahidullah, deputy director of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority and Barisal port officer.
The rear side of MV Tipu-7 was damaged and a capstan of the berthing pontoon was uprooted, said Abul Bashar Majumdar, deputy director BIWTA and river safety and traffic management in-charge of Barisal port.
Abdur Razzak, master of MV Tipu-7 owned by Agarpur Navigation and Company, lodging an allegation with the Barisal river port authourities, claimed that his vessel sustained physical damage worth Tk 1 million and repairing cost, trip income and goodwill loss would be worth Tk 10 million.
MV Tipu 7 was berthed at the place fixed for the vessel by the port authourity, while MV Suravi 8, changing its berthing place, hit my vessel, alleged master of MV Tipu-7.
Kamal Hossain, master of MV Suravi 8 owned by Crescent Shipping Lines, denying the allegation, claimed that MV Tipu 7 was berthed horizontally, instead of vertically, and encroached on the berthing space for other vessels, which caused the accident.
’We have received the allegation of MV Tipu 7 and issued show cause notice on master of MV Suravi 8. Members of standing committee for the port management visiting the port and vessel asked Shahnewaz Kabir, executive engineer of the port, to submit a report and estimate the damages of the port, BIWTA authorities said.
-With New Age input
