B’desh barge capsizes near Ghoramara

Kolkata: A 100-ft Bangladeshi barge carrying fly ash from Budge Budge sent distress signals after it struck a sandbank off Ghoramara island on Thursday afternoon.Until reports last came in, the barge with a dozen men and a pilot on board was still stuck. Local residents from Ghoramara reached out to them in fishing boats to provide food to the stranded seamen.According to Ghoramara pradhan Amdia Khatoon Biwi, islanders heard incessant blaring of the vessel's horn around 2.30 pm. She instructed some villagers to lower a fishing boat and head to the vessel. On reaching MV Sea World, the villagers saw that it had struck a char and was unable to manoeuvre. They then alerted Sagar PS and provided food to those stranded on the barge.Police said a Bangladeshi pilot took charge of the barge from an Indian pilot, after which it hit the char.