A fire broke out on board the commercial oil tanker MT Meghna Trader at the outer anchorage of Chattogram Port on Thursday, prompting a large-scale emergency response by the Bangladesh Coast Guard, Chattogram Port Authority and Bangladesh Navy.
All 22 crew members aboard the vessel were rescued safely, authorities said.
The incident occurred around 7:25 am on Thursday (May 28) at Charlie Point near Parky Beach in the port’s outer anchorage area.
According to Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujan, media officer of the Bangladesh Coast Guard, the fire erupted in the early hours of the holy Eid day. Immediately after receiving the information, the Coast Guard launched a rescue and firefighting operation.
“Coast Guard ship Shyamol Bangla, tugboat Promatta and several firefighting teams rushed to the scene and started efforts to bring the blaze under control,” he said.
He added that all 22 sailors on board the vessel were rescued safely from the burning ship. No casualties or missing persons have been reported so far.
“The Coast Guard’s rescue and firefighting teams are continuing operations to fully extinguish the fire and ensure the safety of the vessel,” the Coast Guard official added.
Meanwhile, Chief Personnel Officer of the Chattogram Port Authority Nasir Uddin said the fire originated in the engine room of the tanker.
Following the incident, crew members were immediately evacuated from the engine room and carbon dioxide was released as part of the initial firefighting measures, he said.
He further said that tugboats Kandari-3 and Kandari-11 of the Chattogram Port Authority, Bangladesh Navy tug BNT Sevak, and Coast Guard tugboat Promatta jointly participated in the firefighting operation and eventually brought the fire under control.
Port sources said the MT Meghna Trader, carrying RBD soybean oil from Indonesia, arrived at the outer anchorage of Chittagong Port on May 26.
Authorities said the Chattogram Port Authority, Bangladesh Coast Guard, Bangladesh Navy and the ship’s local agent USL are continuing to provide necessary support and monitoring assistance following the incident.
