OIL TANKER BLAST

Same vessel sank 6 months ago in the Meghna One body found; search on for missing three
STAFF CORRESPONDENT, Barishal
The oil tanker that exploded in Jhalakathi on Saturday afternoon, was involved in another accident just 6 months ago as it sank in the Meghna river after colliding with a bulkhead.
An investigation report after the incident found that the tanker’s safety equipment, especially the radar system, was not working properly. It recommended fixing the issues before putting it in service again.
Just months after that, the tanker, Sagar Nandini-2, exploded on the Sugandha river seriously injuring five people out of 9 on board. They are taking treatment in the burn unit at Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital.
Of the missing 4 people, rescuers today recovered the body of Ridoy, a crew of the oil tanker, at 2:00pm from the engine room, said Mohammad Salim, a joint director of BIWTA, yesterday.
He said a rescue operation was continuing for the missing three: the tanker’s supervisor Masud Rahman Belal, driver Sarwar and staff Ruhul Amin Khan.
Two divers have been deployed, he added.
The tanker, with seven lakh litres of diesel and four lakh litres of petrol, was anchored near the ferry terminal of the town. It was set to unload its cargo, sources said.
The cargo brought from Chattagram belonged to Padma Oil Company.
One of the injured crew said the explosion was so powerful that it sent the bridge of the tanker flying into the river.
A probe committee has been formed to find out the cause of the explosion.
The BIWTA official said the unloading of cargo from the tanker was ongoing since morning.
The vessel is not likely to capsize, he said.
For Sagar Nandini-2, it was the second major accident in 6 months.
On December 25, last year, it capsized in the Meghna river in Bhola with 1.1 million litres of oil after colliding with a bulkhead on its way to the Padma Oil Company depot in Chandpur.
Salvaging after seven days, it was then repaired in a dock and put back in service, said Salim.
In January, an investigation report said that the tanker lacked adequate safety measures. It recommended that the ship must fix those issues before it can be put in service again,” said BIWTA Additional Director of the Department of Naval Conservation and Management Abdur Rahim.
Asked whether the recommendations of the report were carried out, Salim, BIWTA joint director, said, “We couldn’t check as the bridge of the tanker was blown away in the explosion.”
It couldn’t be confirmed whether the tanker got a clearance certificate after the repair work.