The 1,400 TEU boxhsip Haian City was damaged severely after being hit by an oil tanker in the Kutubia area in the Bay of Bengal.
The incident occurred on 14 April when Haian City was en route from the port of Chittagong, Bangladesh to the port of Singapore.
The Vietnam-flagged feeder ship, operated by Samudera Shipping Line Ltd, lost one empty container to the sea and is now anchored at the bay, waiting for repair.
The oil tanker, namely Orion Express, reached the outer anchorage of the Chittagong port on 14 April afternoon after the accident and remained anchored there.
The 2008-built container ship needs to repair the damage before sailing, according to port officials, while both vessels have been asked not to sail before settling claims.
The Mercantile Marine Department has formed a two-member probe body headed by one of its marine surveyors to investigate the incident.
The Chittagong Port Authority has deployed its salvage tugboat Kadari-11 with duty pilot and pollution control vessel Bay Cleaner-2 for the rescue of the missing container, but work was disrupted due to the rough sea.
Rafique Uddin, an official of the container vessel’s local agent, Intermodal Pvt Ltd, told Container News that due to rough weather none is able to reach close to the vessel. “The damage could not be assessed as our surveyor failed to reach the vessel due to rough weather,” he said, adding, “Our repair workshop also failed to reach there.”
Uddin believes that two to three more days will be needed before Haian City can resume its journey.
Sharar Nayel
Asia Correspondent
