Staff Reporter :
Two bodies were recovered from the crude oil tanker Banglar Jyoti just hours after a massive fire erupted following an explosion on the ship’s bow.
The incident occurred yesterday while the vessel was docked at Dolphin Jetty No. 7 in Chattogram Port, where emergency teams from the Bangladesh Navy, Coast Guard, and other agencies launched a joint rescue operation.
Commander Masud Iqbal, of the Bangladesh Navy (Chattogram area), who is overseeing the rescue efforts, confirmed the deaths. One of the victims, Shourabh, the deck cadet of the tanker, was discovered hanging from the ship’s deck railing.
A second body was also found, but authorities have yet to identify it as body parts were scattered across the scene due to the explosion, Commander Iqbal reported.
The explosion, which occurred around 10:45 am, happened as the Banglar Jyoti, a vessel owned by the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC), was in the process of offloading approximately 11,000 tonnes of crude oil, according to Md Omor Faruk, Secretary of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA).
Thanks to the efforts of multiple agencies, the fire that followed the explosion was eventually brought under control.
Although the fire has been extinguished, the cause of the explosion remains unclear, and an investigation is currently underway. Abdul Wadud, President of the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation Seamen’s Association, confirmed that, in addition to Shourabh, two workshop technicians—Nurul Islam and Haroon—are still missing.
In response to the explosion, rescue teams quickly mobilised, deploying several tugboats and firefighting vessels to contain the situation. As a precaution, nearby ships were moved to safer locations, and oil installations in the area were placed on high alert, according to the CPA.
This tragic incident has sparked concerns over safety measures and the handling of hazardous materials at Chattogram Port. Authorities continue to search for the missing individuals and investigate the root cause of the explosion, which has cast a spotlight on the port’s safety protocols.