Merchant ships face accidents as lighter vessels berth illegally in port channel

Chattogram Bureau :

Commercial ships are getting frequently involved in accidents at the outer anchorage of Chattogram port due to the presence of lighter ships anchoring there in defiance of regulations.

Officials said there are 10 designated anchorage points for lighter vessels in the port, in the Patenga and Parki Beach areas. However, lighter vessel owners continue to anchor their vessels outside these designated areas.

Bulk carrier ships from different countries cannot immediately identify these lighter vessels, which do not have any Automatic Identification System (AIS). As a result, accidents involving bulk carrier ships and lighter vessels are common at the outer anchorage, they said.

A recent report by Interport Maritime Ltd, a maritime survey company, found that every year at least 10 commercial ships are involved in accidents at the outer anchorage of Chattogram port.

The report identified the irregular parking of lighter vessels as the main cause of five recent accidents in the area, including the accidents involving the Ceylon Breeze from Sri Lanka, the Amfitrion from Liberia, and the Thuan An from Vietnam.

Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association Chairman Syed Mohammad Arif told The New Nation that lighter ships should not be parked in the way of commercial ships to avoid accidents, as lighter ships have designated anchorages.