A cargo ship carrying fly ash, a raw material for cement, has sunk in the Poshur River near Mongla Port, Bagerhat.
The incident occurred around 6am on Friday near the confluence of the Mongla River and the Poshur River.
The driver of the affected vessel, MV Mizan-01, Shaukat Sheikh, reported that their ship was anchored in the Poshur channel.
At approximately 6am, a lighter cargo vessel named MV K Alam Gulshan-02, while anchored, collided with the cargo ship MV Mizan-01, causing it to capsize, he added.
The vessel was carrying 914 tons of fly ash, which had been loaded from Bandel, Kolkata, India.
The ship was en route to Basundhara Ghat in Narayanganj, Dhaka, when the accident occurred during a stopover at Mongla Port.
Shaukat further said the impact from the lighter vessel caused damage to the side and bottom of their cargo ship, resulting in it sinking into the river.
All 10 crew members on board swam to the shore and are now safe.
Meanwhile, port authorities confirmed that the port channel remains completely safe for navigation. Md Makruzzaman, deputy director of the Board and Public Relations Division of Mongla Port Authority, said the cargo ship MV Mizan-01 sank after being struck by another lighter vessel, MV K Alam Gulshan-02, at a char of Poshur River.
However, the port channel is secure and all types of vessels continue to operate normally through the channel.
