Ship damaged in Bay collision salvaged

MV Haian City, a Vietnam flag carrier container ship damaged in a collision with an oil tanker in Kutubdia in the Bay of Bengal, has been rescued and brought back to the Chattogram port.

It was brought back to the Karnaphuli dry dock jetty, a private dockyard, on Wednesday afternoon.

The ship carrying export goods of Tk 800 crore was damaged as it collided with MT Orion Express on April 14 near Kutubdia, 14 nautical miles from the main port channel.

The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) said in a press release some vessels of the CPA, the navy, and a private salvage company took part in the rescue operation.

The operation was one of the most adventurous in the Chattogram port history in which the ship and a significant amount of export cargo were saved. CPA Secretary Mohammad Omar Faruq said water entered the ship’s cargo hold after the accident, causing the vessel to lose its balance.

“It was about to sink before anchoring in Kutubdia. But a container fell into the sea and several others were damaged in the collision.”

He also said steps had been taken to resolve the dispute over compensation between the parties after the accident.

The accident caused a part of the ship to sink while the vessel tilted by seven degrees. If the ship was not rescued, it would have sunk and all the cargo, most of which was readymade garments, would have been lost. There were also sea navigation risks.