File photo.
Mirsarai/Chittagong/Representative/

Eight laborers died when a sand mining dredger sank in Sandwip Channel of Bay of Bengal in Mirsarai, Chittagong. Dredger sinking occurred in the west of Jetty No. 3 area of ​​Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpanagar in Saherkhali Union of Upazila on Monday (October 24) night under the influence of Cyclone Sitrang.

The dead workers are Imam Molla, Mahmud Molla, Shaheen Molla, Al Amin, Md. Tarek and Bashar. The names of the other two have not been released.

However, a worker named Salam managed to come ashore from the dredger.

On Tuesday (October 25), the worker survived the dredger. Salam told the media that the houses of all the dead workers are in Jainkathi area of ​​Patuakhali Sadar Upazila. Their dredger Saikat-2 sank in the Sandwip Channel off the Mirsarai coast due to strong winds and waves under the influence of Cyclone Sitrang.

The dredger is owned by a contractor named Saikat Enterprises. Bepza appointed this contractor at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpanagar in Mirsrai. Among the 9 workers in the dredger, Salam managed to reach the edge, but the remaining 8 workers were trapped.

Mirsarai upazila executive officer. Minhazur Rahman said that immediately after the accident, other workers tried to rescue the trapped workers with a boat. Then they saw the dead workers trapped inside. Divers and fire service teams have started working in the sea to recover the body.