The mystery vessel found adrift with no sailors on board in Bhola is a barge that disconnected from a tugboat en route to Matarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal-fired Power Plant Project in Cox’s Bazar.
Lieutenant KM Shafiul Kinjol, a spokesman for the coastguards, said tugboat AM Accord was towing the barge containing 13,000 tonnes of stones for the project from Kakinada port in India.
The barge got disconnected from the main vessel due to squally weather on Wednesday night, he said, adding that the barge was in the custody of the coastguards.
The barge was stranded in a shoal. Shamsuddin Sagar, a local resident, first saw it on Thursday morning and visited it with others by a trawler. They saw two excavators, besides the stones, on the ship. The locals then informed Zakir Hossain, chairman of the local union council.
Al Noman, UNO of Char Fesson Upazila, said the ship was in a remote area and the weather was squally which delayed efforts to take control of the vessel.
Md Aslamul Haque, commander of the coastguards contingent in Monpura, had earlier said a team from Char Manika had started for the scene near Char Nizam of Monpura on Friday morning. The authorities could not contact the team due to mobile network problems.
Some people allegedly looted the cargo by using trawlers in the Char Nizam area. People who visited the ship said they saw the words “Al Qubtan” written on it.
