INDIA: 7 missing as 2 lighter vessels sink in Bay

At least seven crews went missing after two cement clinker-laden lighter vessels capsized near Kutubdia channel in the Bay early Tuesday.

The vessels -- MV Titu-21 and MV Titu-22 – sank at about 1:00am when mother vessel ‘MV Ramsi’ hit those from behind at 10.65 nautical miles off Kutubdia Light House.

MV Titu-21 and MV Titu-22, which were about to start for Dhaka after loading the cement clinker from another mother vessel ‘MV Amfir’, capsized with six crews.

Another crew of MV Titu-16 went missing after MV Ramsi also hit and party damaged the vessel during the incident.

Abul Khair Group is the owner of the five vessels, reports our staff correspondent in Chittagong.

Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Secretary Syed Farhad Uddin told The Daily Star that rescue teams of Coast Guard and Bangladesh Navy already reached the spot to recover the sunken vessels.

Abul Kashem, Manager (operation) of Litmong Shipping, an agent of Abul Khair Group, confirmed that seven crews remained missing till filling of this report at about 1:00pm.