45 passengers stranded in Naf River on way to St. Martin

A passenger trawler from Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar to St. Martin has been stranded in the estuary of Naf River. There were 40-45 passengers on the trawler. However, no one was reported to have been injured. The incident took place in the Naikshangdia area near Shahparir Island on the Myanmar border on Thursday (December 4) afternoon. Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Imamul Hafiz Nadim confirmed the matter.
He said, ‘A passenger trawler from Teknaf to St. Martin has been stranded in the char at the estuary of Naf. Upon receiving the information, the Coast Guard has started a rescue operation. There were 40-45 passengers on the trawler.’ The UNO said, ‘Initially, it has been learned that the engine of the trawler has broken down.’ However, all passengers are safe.’
Abdur Rashid, president of the Teknaf-St. Martin Route Service Boat Owners Association, said, “One of our boats left for St. Martin in the afternoon with about 50 passengers. After reaching Shahparir Island, the engine broke down and the boat got stuck. The Coast Guard went to the scene and is conducting rescue operations.
Md. Hossain, leaseholder of Kayukkhali Ghat of Teknaf Municipality, said, ‘Yasin Majhi’s service boat left from Teknaf with passengers. The boat got stuck at the mouth of the Naf River.’ He also said, ‘Recently, the char has risen at the mouth of the Naf River, making this route risky. As a result, the risk of accidents is also increasing.’