A 300-ton salt-laden trawler sank in the Meghna River in Bhola after being hit by a ship amid dense fog, though all seven people on board were rescued alive.

The incident occurred at around 2:30am on Thursday near the Ilishbari area adjacent to Tulatuli in Bhola Sadar upazila.

According to trawler master Md Belal Hossain, the trawler MV Dilwara-3 departed Kutubdia in Cox’s Bazar on Thursday morning carrying around 300 tons of salt bound for Jailkhana Ghat in Khulna. Due to poor visibility caused by heavy fog, the trawler was anchored in the river near Tulatuli around 2:30am.

At that time, a ship approaching from behind rammed into the trawler with force, rupturing part of its structure and causing water to rush in rapidly. 

Although efforts were made to steer the vessel towards the riverbank, it sank near the shore.

All seven occupants aboard the trawler managed to swim ashore and survived the incident.

However, a large quantity of salt from the sunken vessel drifted into the Meghna River. 

The trawler was carrying approximately 3,400 sacks of salt worth around Tk 17 lakh. The trawler owners claimed that the total loss from the incident amounted to about Tk 50 lakh.

Upon receiving the information, members of the Bangladesh Coast Guard’s South Zone and the River Police rushed to the scene. Later, a recovery operation to salvage the sunken trawler was launched with the assistance of a private diving team.

Confirming the incident, Ilisha River Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Syed Ashikur Rahman said police arrived at the spot immediately after being informed and efforts to recover the trawler were ongoing. 

He added that no formal complaint had been filed yet and legal action would be taken if a complaint is lodged.