We were awaiting death: Bangladeshi sailor

“I had just finished lunch around 11:00 am and was resting when a loud explosion shook the ship. I quickly put on a life jacket and rushed to the engine room. Everything seemed fine there. I then ran up to the deck and saw flames blazing beneath the crane. That’s when I realised the vessel had been hit by a missile. Without delay, we all moved into the accommodation area on the upper deck to ensure our safety. Shortly afterwards, another missile struck just behind us. We survived by a matter of seconds, but panic spread among the crew.”

This is how Bangladeshi sailor Ehsan Sabri Rihad described the initial moments of the missile attack on the Panama-flagged vessel ‘MV Gold Autumn’ in the Arabian Sea, in an account to Prothom Alo. The vessel came under attack at around 11:30 am last Tuesday, the day before the Iran–United States ceasefire. It was carrying cargo from Shanghai in China, to Sohar port in Oman and was in the Arabian Sea, about 200 nautical miles from its destination. There were six Bangladeshi crew members on board, along with 11 from China, 3 from Indonesia, and one each from Myanmar and Vietnam.

Rihad, a resident of Cox’s Bazar Sadar, had joined the vessel as an engine cadet 10 months ago. Before completing his first voyage at sea, he was confronted with this harrowing experience. The crew is still unsure who carried out the attack, which occurred outside the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. Since the outbreak of the Iran war on 28 February, the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman have been considered high-risk areas.

Speaking on WhatsApp, Rihad said, “Even after we took shelter in the accommodation area, we could hear the ear-splitting sounds of repeated explosions. After several strikes, fire spread around the ship. The final hit created a hole on one side of the vessel and disabled the main engine. The attack stopped after that.”

Rihad said that apart from the rear deck, most parts of the vessel were engulfed in flames. Large buses being transported as cargo were reduced to ashes. The crew tried to bring the fire under control and later gathered on the rear deck. At the same time, efforts were made to restart the engine, but by 1:00 pm they had failed.

As the fire spread further, the captain eventually declared the vessel abandoned. The crew prepared to board lifeboats, but one had been damaged in the missile strike. Rihad and three Indonesian sailors, managed to board another lifeboat, while 18 crew members remained on the rear deck. Although the vessel had been declared abandoned, rough sea conditions made it impossible to jump into the water.

After boarding the lifeboat, their ordeal continued. Rihad said the lifeboat’s engine had also been disabled by the blasts. The sea was rough, and waves were flooding into the boat, leaving everyone unwell.

“The lifeboat was drifting helplessly in the waves. There was fear in everyone’s eyes. I vomited several times. It felt like this was our last day. We were waiting for death. I thought we would not make it back alive. Out of fear, I kept reciting Dua Yunus,” he said.

Rihad said they later fired flares from the lifeboat to seek help. After about seven hours, around 8:30 pm, they spotted a vessel named MV Uniaich. They rowed towards it and climbed aboard using a rope ladder. After boarding, they informed the crew about the others still stranded on Gold Autumn. However, the rescue vessel could not get too close due to the fire.

He added, “From MV Uniaich, we contacted the ship’s owners via satellite phone. The company sought assistance from the Pakistan Navy through the Pakistani embassy. Around 1:00 am, the navy responded and launched a rescue operation.”

“About seven hours later, at 8:00 am on Wednesday, a Pakistan Navy ship, PNS Hunain, arrived and rescued 14 of the 18 crew members still on the abandoned vessel. By then, the fire had largely come under control. As the vessel had not sunk immediately, the captain and four others remained on board, including Bangladeshi sailor Mazharul Abedin Shawon. They stayed behind in the hope that the vessel could be towed to the Omani coast once sea conditions improved,” said Rihad.

After rescuing the 14 crew members, the Pakistan Navy vessel also picked up the four sailors from MV Uniaich. With all 18 rescued, the naval ship reached Karachi port at around 2:00 pm on Thursday. The rescued Bangladeshis included Rihad, along with Tawhidur Rahman, Abdullah Al Maruf, Saikat Pal and Riad Hossain. They received primary treatment on board.

Following the rescue, Rihad contacted Sakhawat Hossain, general secretary of the Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers’ Association. Sakhawat Hossain told Prothom Alo, “We have been in contact with the sailors since their rescue. All are safe. We are working to ensure their safe return home.”