Bangladesh
Rescue Ship | Ferry Accident Rustom rescuing sunken Paturi ferry
Dhaka, October 30: 'Rustom' has reached Paturia to rescue the ferry that capsized at the wharf. On Saturday (October 30) morning, Rustom began its fourth day of rescue with the rescue ship Hamza.
Sources said that two motorcycles have been recovered in the rescue operation since this morning. So far 12 truck-carvadvans and three motorcycles have been recovered. SM Sanwar Hossain, commander of the rescue ship Hamza, said the rescue operation was underway. Rustam has joined this work. After rescuing the sinking vehicles, the process of rescuing the ferry will begin.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, a row-row ferry named Amanat Shah carrying 17 goods-covered vans and motorcycles from Daulatdia Ghat in Goalanda capsized. All the vehicles on the ferry sank. The local administration has formed two separate committees of investigation and the shipping ministry has formed two separate committees of seven members.
Fazlur Rahman, deputy director (rescue) of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), said 12 vehicles and a motorcycle were recovered during the three-day rescue operation. Today Hamza rescued another motorcycle and a covered van. The rescue ship Rustam has joined Hamza in rescuing the vehicle.
Rustam was scheduled to join the rescue operation on Friday evening, but the ship arrived at the wreckage at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday (October 30). Shortly afterwards, the ship began a rescue operation.
Amanat Shah drowned at Ghatur No. 5 in Paturia on October 27 at around 9:30 am along with 14 vehicles. After that the rescue operation started. Hamza was able to rescue four trucks carrying goods from the crashed ferry after a 10-and-a-half-hour rescue operation. Authorities later suspended the rescue operation for the first time at around 8:30 pm.
The next day, from 8:00 am to 7:20 pm on Thursday, the ship Hamza rescued five covered vans. Authorities later suspended the second day's rescue operation. On the third day, Hamza was able to rescue three vehicles from the sinking ferry between 8am and 9pm on Friday.
