A Dhaka-bound lighter ship carrying coal has capsized in the Bay of Bengal near the island of Bhasan Char.
The vessel sank upon encountering rough seas around 10 am on Saturday, according to Mohammed Selim, a director of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), reports bdnews24.com.
The ship named 'Sajal Tanay-2' had departed from the Chattogram Port with 700 tonnes of coal in the morning.
"The lighter vessel sank off the coast of Bhasan Char near Thengar Char. We've learnt that the sea was rough at the time and the turbulent waves caused the disaster.”
As many as 11 sailors were onboard at the time and members of the Coast Guard have launched a search operation to rescue them, according to the BIWTA director.
The ship belonged to 'Reza Shipping Lines' but was being operated by the Water Transport Cell.