Coast Guard rescues 300 passengers stranded on submerged char in Bhola
Last night, a passenger-carrying bulkhead en route from Lakshmipur to Elisha, got stranded on a submerged char near the launch terminal
Bangladesh Coast Guard has rescued 300 passengers stranded on a submerged char near the Elisha Launch Terminal in Bhola sadar upazila.
"Yesterday around 8:00pm, a passenger-carrying bulkhead named MB Zakaria Jihad-1, traveling from Lakshmipur to Elisha, got stuck on a submerged char near the launch terminal with 300 passengers onboard," Coast Guard Media Officer Lieutenant Commander Md Siam-ul-Haq told The Business Standard today (30 March).
"Upon receiving the distress call from one of the passengers, a five-member rescue team from the Coast Guard's Elisha station was immediately dispatched to the location," he added.
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The officer further said the rescue team safely transferred all passengers to the launch terminal. The passengers expressed their gratitude towards the Coast Guard for their prompt action.
The officer also mentioned that the bulkhead was carrying passengers beyond its capacity without approval or a valid fitness certificate. "As a result, the vessel was seized along with three crew members. Legal action will be taken against them."
