10 vehicles recovered at Paturia
PBC News: A total of 10 vehicles, including five covered vans, were recovered on the second day of the Shah Amanat ferry sinking at Paturia Ghat in Manikganj.
The probe body comprising the Ministry of Shipping and probe body comprising the deputy commissioner visited the spot to find out the cause of the sinking of the Shah Amanat Ro-Ro ferry. However, no member of the committee agreed to speak in front of the media.
Members of the Fire Service, Navy, Coast Guard and BIWTA launched a rescue operation at 5th pontoon in Paturia at about 8.30am on Thursday. A covered van was recovered from the sunken ferry after a three-and-a-half-hour effort and later, they rescued five covered vans that were floating 150 meters east of Ghat No. 5.
Earlier on the day of the accident, rescuers recovered 3 trucks and a motorcycle. And since the rescue operation started at 8:30 am five covered vans were rescued till 6:30 pm.
The operation was carried out in collaboration with the rescue ship Hamza and the operation was closed for the second day at around 7.00 pm.
The rescue ship Pratya, which left Munshiganj on Wednesday, did not reach the ghar at 8.00 pm on Thursday.
BIWTA Joint Director (Rescue) Fazlur Rahman said Shah Amanat ferry arrived in Paturia with 17 covered vans-trucks and a few motorcycles. At that time, three trucks and some motorcycles were able to reach the shore but 14 covered vans and trucks and some motorcycles sank, he added.
“Five covered vans floated some distance and got stuck with the dredger pipe immediately after the accident. In two days, six covered vans, four trucks and a motorcycle were recovered. Divers have confirmed that there are still four trucks-covered vans on the sunken ferry.”
Deputy Commissioner Abdul Latif said, “The rescue ship Pratya left Narayanganj on Wednesday to take part in the rescue operation. It is expected to arrive by Thursday night.”
“No casualties were reported in the accident. No one was seen coming to the dock even claiming to have lost relatives.”
The ferry Shah Amanat tilted and part of the ferry went into water while it was anchoring at the pontoon of ghat number 5 at Paturia. As a result, some vehicles on the ferry also went into the river around 9:30am on Wednesday.
