The Hindu Business Line : China-bound vessel beaches near shore at Tannir Bavi

Representatives from the Holland-based salvage group Svitzer who came to Mangalore on Friday evening, visited Tannir Bavi area. The team members are likely to visit the ship on Saturday.

The Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Minister, Mr B. Nagaraja Shetty, reviewed the situation with the officials of the port on Friday. Participating in the meeting, the Deputy Conservator of New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), Mr K.V. Vaswani, said that the ship has beached 1,400 metres away from the shore near Tannir Bavi.

Problems

Explaining the events that took place from Thursday, he said, the 1982-built ship with 28 crewmembers on board had left New Mangalore Port on Thursday morning. After two hours, the captain of the ship, Mr Yang Jing Mo, called back the port to say that he is coming back as the ship is developing a steady list (tilt). Then the ship was seven nautical miles away from the port.

Later, it came to know that the cargo hatchet of the ship was not closed in time. The watery effect of the cargo adversely affected the centre of gravity (stability) of the ship, leading to listing. The ship had diesel oil of 60 tonnes, furnace oil of 372 tonnes and fresh water of 100 tonnes when it sailed from the port.

Mr Vaswani said that the tugs from New Mangalore Port tried to pull it back to safety on Thursday evening.

‘Worst is over’

Stating that the ship has beached now, he said the worst is over for the ship. The captain of the ship does not have any intention to abandon it, he told the Minister.

The Protection and Indemnity Club (P&I Club) of the ship has already activated the salvage group, Svitzer.

Later, the Minister told the media that the ship is in the limits of Old Mangalore Port now and not in the New Mangalore Port. He said there are proposals either to unload the cargo from the ship at anchorage or to pump the water out from cargo hatchet. However, the salvage team would decide on the future plans of action, he said.

The NMPT Chairman, Mr P. Tamilvanan, the Deputy Chairman of NMPT, Mr M.A. Baskarachar, and the Port Officer of Old Mangalore Port, Capt Mohan Kudari, were present at the meeting.