3000 tourists stuck at St Martin

Cox’s Bazar Correspondent: Around 3000 tourists including women and children have got stuck at Saint Martin’s Island in the Bay of Bengal in Teknaf upazila due to inclement weather.

Around 2500 tourists went to the island around 9:30 am on Tuesday and half of them stayed at the island at night. Moreover, some 1500 tourists more were stationed at the island the day before yesterday.

Confirming the matter, Shah Alam, manager of Keari Sindabad, said the tourists remained stranded at the island in the last two days as no ship could be able to leave Teknaf for the island due to disastrous weather.

However, 3000 remained stranded in the island as local administration banned the vessel plying as squally weather is taking place over the North Bay.

Due to the influence of frequent thunderstorm activity, squally weather, dwellers on the mainland have been experiencing drizzle since early Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist distant cautionary signal Number 3.

All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay have been advised to proceed with caution till further notice.

Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rabiul Hasan said that when weather conditions returned to normal, tourists will be brought back from St. Martin safely.

Security, accommodation and other issues of the stranded tourists are being monitored so that they have not faced any difficulty, he added.


risingbd/Cox’s Bazar/Mar 6, 2019/Sujauddin Rubel/AI