SCRF demands technical committee to ensure fire safety system in ships

The Shipping and Communication Reporters Forum on Thursday demanded the formation of a high-powered independent technical expert committee to examine the adequacy of fuel tanks and fire prevention and extinguishing systems of all types of inland vessels, including Launches and Oil Tankers.

Besides, the organisation of Dhaka based media workers called to ensure proper survey (fitness test) of all water vessels to avoid any kind of accidents.

The SCRF president Ashis Kumar Dey and its general secretary Lion Md. Jahangir Alam made this call to the government in a statement through medias.

Recently, two consecutive explosions and fire of oil tanker Sagarnandini-2 in Sugandha river in Jhalkathi, caches fire in passenger launch Mayur-7 near Buriganga’s Sadarghat in the capital Dhaka and cracked the bottom part of the passenger launch Farhan-3 in Meghna river near Tamuruddin ghat in Hatia upazila of Noakhali which arises a strong question about these vessels were fit for navigation whether or not, the statement said,

Citing expert opinions published in the media at various times, SCRF said that the concerned engineers and ship surveyors also give fitness certificates to many defective ships by doing survey in short time.

The statement also said that although the boats have certified masters and drivers, many of them have no necessary training and skills. Ship surveyors also avoid this important point during the survey.

Due to these reasons, repeated accidents are happening on waterways, the statement said.