Naval craft rescues Bangladesh ship crew

Ananth PALAKIDNAR

GALLE: A Naval Fast Attack Craft in Galle rescued 34 crew members of Amanath Sha, a Bangladesh ship which sank off the coast of Koggala yesterday.

Navy spokesperson Commander D.K.P. Dassanayake told the Daily News that the vessel was sailing with timber from Myanmar to Mumbai via Lankan waters when the mishap occurred.

According to Commander Dassanayake, the Bangladesh vessel Amanath Sha had to anchor in the seas of Panama off Arugambay in the East a few days ago due to its engine failure.

"The local agent of the ship in Colombo arranged a tug boat called Aktar to bring the vessel to Colombo."

While the towed ship was on its way to Colombo around 7.30 a.m. yesterday, the ship weighing 3000 tons started sinking off the coast of Koggala.

"It was following a SOS sent to the Navy in Galle by the ship that a Fast Attack Craft rushed to the scene and rescued all 30 crew members along with two women and two children who were on board," Dassanayake said.

The ship started sailing from Yangon port in Myanmar to Mumbai, India a few days ago with the cargo of timber.

Attempts to salvage the ship by Naval divers failed due to bad weather.

The crew members rescued from the vessel Amanath Sha will be brought to Colombo for their travel arrangements, the spokesperson added.