Another ferry on Shimulia-Banglabazar channel hit pillar number 10 of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge on the River Padma on Friday.
Earlier on August 9 another ferry crashed into and damaged the same pillar of the bridge following which the shipping ministry on the next day suspended the movement of all passengers and goods-carrying heavy vehicles on the channel by ferry for an indefinite period.
No one got injuries and no damages occurred to the bridge or the ferry in the fresh incident, said officials of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation.
BIWTC manager (commercial) Shafayet Ahmed confirmed that the ferry Kakoli hit the pillar at about 7:00am while going to Shimulia from Banglabazar ghat.
The ferry was scheduled to go between pillar numbers 11 and 12 but due to strong current and wind the master lost control and hit pillar number 10, he continued.
He said that the outside of the ferry was damaged a little while no water got inside or caused any casualties.
No damages occurred to the pillar as well, he added.
Later, the ferry reached Banglabazar terminal.
In another incident, at least five people were injured and pillar no 10 of the Padma Bridge was damaged when ferry Birshrestha Jahangir on the Shimulia-Banglabazar channel crashed into the pillar on August 9.
Immediately after the incident Padma Bridge project executive engineer Dewan Md Abdul Kader filed a general diary with the Louhajang police station which said that the pile cap of the pier number 10 of the bridge was damaged as ferry Birshrestha Jahangir hit the pier.
On July 23 at least 20 people were injured when ro-ro ferry Hazrat Shahjalal travelling on the channel crashed into the pillar number 17 of the Padma Bridge.
After that incident the ferry master was suspended and a probe committee proposed relocation of the ferry terminal from Banglabazar to Majhirkandi or from Shimulia to the old Mawa Ghat for the sake of the bridge’s safety.
Before that on July 20 another ferry fit pillar 16 of the bridge.
