Kutubdia, Oct 13 (V7N) — A fire broke out aboard the lighterage vessel Sufia, carrying LPG, at Koyarbil Point in the Bay of Bengal near Kutubdia. The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday around 1 a.m.

According to local sources, the vessel suddenly caught fire while anchored. Sailors on board jumped into the sea to escape the blaze and were later rescued by Navy and Coast Guard personnel who rushed to the scene to contain the fire.

Lt. Shakib Mehbub, an officer from the Coast Guard East Zone, confirmed the incident to the media, stating that the fire had been brought under control with the joint efforts of the Navy and Coast Guard.

This incident follows two recent fires on Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) vessels. On September 30, the MT Banglar Jyoti caught fire after an explosion, resulting in the deaths of three people. Just days later, on October 4, another BSC vessel, MT Bengal Sourav, also caught fire, claiming one life.

The series of maritime incidents has raised concerns about safety protocols on vessels operating in Bangladesh’s waters.

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