Collision in Bay of Bengal
The 182 meter long, 46664 dwt bulk carrier Bashundhara 8 collided with the fishing vessel Bandhan in the Bay of Bengal off St Martin’s Island, Bangladesh. The Bashundhara 8 was en route to Singapore during the early morning hours when it struck the Bandhan while it was collecting shrimp. The Bandhan rolled over and sank. Only three of the 29 crewmen on board the Bandhan were able to escape. The three men were rescued by a nearby trawler. One of the rescued crew later died from injuries from the vessel capsizing.
Authorities were alerted to the collision dispatched vessels to conduct a search and rescue for the missing crew of the Bandhan. Several vessels from the Bangladesh Navy along with patrol aircraft searched the area. Reports state there were strong currents and bad conditions at the time of the incident. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.