A lighter vessel named Chandtara-8, carrying 18,500 bags of cement, sank in the Meghna River near Chandpur’s Dokanghar area early Thursday. The ship’s master, Mamun Sheikh, said the vessel had been anchored overnight alongside another ship, Jaman. As both set off around 4:30 a.m., strong currents caused a collision, tipping Chandtara-8 and sending it under with its cargo. All eight crew members were rescued by local fishermen. BIWTA has been informed and will conduct a salvage operation, police said.