Body of sunken oil tanker`s master recovered in Shela

Bagerhat, UNB : The body of the master of the sunken oil tanker, ‘OT Southern Star 7’, who had remained missing since after its capsize on December 9, was recovered from the Shela River at Badamtala of the Sundarbans on Sunday morning. Mohammad Gias, manager of ‘OT Southern Star 7’, said local fishermen spotted the body of the missing master, M Mokhlesur Rahman, floating in Badamtala area of the river at about 6:00 am and informed the Divisional Forest Office. The dead master is son of Ijjat Ali, a resident of Laxmipasha village in Bakerganj upazila of Barisal district. Later, local people, fishermen and officials of the forest office rushed to the spot and recovered the body. The body was brought to the Chandpai forest station office, said station officer Abul Kalam Azad. ‘OT Southern Star 7’, carrying some 3.57 lakh litres of furnace oil, sank in the river at Mrigmari under East Zone of the Sundarbans after being hit by a cargo vessel, ‘Total Cargo, at 5am on Tuesday, causing a serious threat to the existence of the mangrove forest and its natural resources due to the oil spill. Seven crew members of the oil tanker managed to swim ashore while there was no trace of its master, M Mokhlesur Rahman.