The Hindu Business Line : Dubai-bound cargo ship sinks off Mangalore coast

ROUGH WEATHER: A view of m.v. Denden, a cargo ship, which ran aground off Tannirbavi coast near Mangalore on Saturday and subsequently capsized. Of the 24 crew members, 20 were rescued and two were reported missing. Two died during rescue operations. The ship was carrying 7,500 tonnes of furnace slag from New Mangalore Port to the UAE. - R. Eswarraj

Mangalore June 23 The UAE-bound cargo ship carrying furnace slag sank near Tannirbavi beach off Mangalore coast on Saturday. Of the 24 crew members of the cargo ship - m.v. Denden - 20 were rescued and two were reported missing. Two crew members died during rescue operation.

The ship was carrying 7,500 tonnes of furnace slag from New Mangalore Port to the UAE. Sources said the cargo loss was estimated at around $78,750. It is said that the cargo was billed at $10.5 a tonne. However, the cost of the ship and the insurance on it are yet to be ascertained.

The cargo was shipped from New Mangalore Port for a Dubai-based company.

The ship, which came to New Mangalore Port on June 15, had left the port on June 20. Owing to engine failure, the ship was anchored in the outer anchorage of the port. Though efforts were made to repair the engine, the rough weather in the sea added to the problem. Due to the increase of wind velocity in the sea, anchoring of the ship failed and it was grounded in the early hours of Saturday.

Though the district administration and coast guard made steps to rescue the ship, the rough weather in the sea did not allow them to reach the ship.

As the ship began to sink, 12 crew members jumped into the sea at around 12 noon. Of them, 10 were rescued and two were dead by the time their bodies reached the shore. At 4 p.m., the remaining 12 members jumped into the sea. Of them, 10 were rescued. The remaining two were reported missing.

The 30-year-old ship was registered in Eritrea. The ship had crewmembers of mixed nationalities, including Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.