Engine Room Fire on Oil Tanker at Chattogram Port Outer Anchorage Brought Under Control
A fire that broke out in the engine room of a cargo vessel at the Charlie Point area of the Chattogram Port outer anchorage near Parki Beach early on 28 May was successfully brought under control following a coordinated maritime emergency response.
The incident occurred aboard the oil tanker MT Meghna Traders at approximately 7:30am, prompting the rapid mobilisation of firefighting and rescue units from the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), the Bangladesh Navy, and the Bangladesh Coast Guard.
No casualties had been reported at the time of filing this report.
According to port officials, the vessel’s crew immediately evacuated the affected engine room after the fire erupted and released carbon dioxide into the sealed compartment to suppress the flames and prevent the blaze from spreading beyond the engine section.
Following the emergency alert, the CPA deployed its specialised tugboats Kandari 3 and Kandari 11 to the scene. The operation was later reinforced by the Bangladesh Navy tug BNT Sebok and the Bangladesh Coast Guard tug Promotto, which joined the coordinated firefighting and maritime rescue effort.
Port sources stated that MT Meghna Traders had arrived at the Chattogram outer anchorage on 26 May carrying a consignment of RBD soybean oil imported from Indonesia.
After the engine room fire was contained, officials confirmed that representatives from the CPA, Bangladesh Coast Guard, Bangladesh Navy, and the vessel’s local shipping agent, USL, remained stationed at the site to provide operational support and monitor the vessel’s condition to ensure maritime safety and stability.
Read: Engine Room Fire on Singapore-Registered Bulk Carrier MANDY Leaves Two Crew Members Dead
The incident highlights the importance of rapid emergency response capabilities, port safety infrastructure, and coordinated maritime firefighting operations at one of Bangladesh’s busiest shipping and cargo handling zones.
