Monday, August 1, 2011

Another ship stuck at Mumbai's Juhu beach

Mumbai:  In the second such incident in six weeks, a huge ship on Sunday drifted to and ran aground at Juhu beach here, officials said.

The ship is oil tanker, laden with 10 tonnes of fuel oil and another 10 tonnes of gas oil, an defence official said.

The 21-year old ship, MT Pavit, flying a Panama flag, drifted here from Ras Al Madrakah in Oman following engine failure and flooding of its engine room, the officials said.

However, officials declined to comment whether the oil aboard the double-bottomed ship posed any environmental hazards to the Mumbai port and the coast.

Incidentally, two days ago, the approximately 70 metres long ship had sent out a distress call to Britain's Maritime Rescue Coordination Committee (MRCC), following which Indian Coast Guard authorities had organised a rescue operation.

An Indian ship, MT Jag Pushpa, was diverted to rescue the 13 crew on board the Pavit and they were taken to Sikka port in Gujarat.

After the Coast Guard received intimation of the ship being grounded near Juhu beach, it sent out its vessel ICG Amrit Kaur and a helicopter to carry out preliminary assessment of the situation.

"The preliminary assessment has revealed that the vessel is grounded without any apparent damage," the official said.

The ship's owners, who believed that the ship had sunk two days ago, have been informed that measures are in the process to mount salvage operations.

Last month, June 17, a condemned cargo ship, MV Wisdom, was similarly stuck at Juhu beach but was finally towed away July 2.

Meanwhile, thousands of Mumbaikars turned up at Juhu beach on Sunday evening to view the ship nestling in the waters off the popular and famous beach.

The Coast Guard and the Mumbai police have deployed personnel in the vicinity to prevent people from venturing too close to the grounded ship.

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