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Published : 08 Jul 2013, 11:31 AM
They reached the outer anchorage of Chittagong port onboard German cargo vessel MV Buxmoon around 9pm on Sunday. The five survivors are the ship’s Deck Cadet Mokhlesur Rahman, 4th Engineer Abdul Hakim, Mohammad Rubel, Mohamed Osman and Saiful Islam.
The sailors spent the night in the Buxmoon and on Monday morning a lighter vessel brought them to terminal-15 of Patenga port.
The representatives of the shipping companies and reporters have been waiting there since the morning, Chittagong ship owners’ P&I Club representative Interport Maritime Limited’s Mahiuddin Abdul Kader told bdnews24.com.
They reached Patenga’s terminal at 11.00am. Two of the sailors embraced their loved ones and broke down in tears. The three others were also overcome by emotions as they spoke.
Mokhlesur Rahman and Mohammad Rubel recounted the events of that night to reporters.
Last Wednesday, the MV Hope was caught in a severe storm and its captain had lost control of the ship. Despite his best efforts, the ship was tilting to its side, and the sailors were fearful that the vessel would sink. Several of them jumped into the rough sea with their life jacket on.
A few among the 17 sailors on board got onto a life boat and was picked up by the Buxmoon on Thursday.
A helicopter of the Royal Thai Navy rescued Deck Cadet Abu Bakar Siddiqui who was floating with his life jacket and sent him to a hospital in Phuket.
The second day saw three more rescued and the Buxmoon recovered the dead bodies of two crew members – the Hope’s Chief Officer Mahbub Morshed and Chief Engineer Kazi Saifuddin. Both their bodies were handed over to the Thai navy.
Those rescued on Friday included MV Hope’s Second Officer Mobarak Hossain, Deck Cadet Rayekh Fairooz and Engine Cadet Mushfiqur Rahman.
They were receiving medical attention.
The Royal Thai Navy continued the operation to rescue the six missing crew following requests by their family members but there have been no traces of them.
The five sailors who returned were taken to a private hospital from Patenga. They will undergo a medical checkup there, said Abdul Quader.
