On Wednesday, a container ship named MTT Singapore, measuring 140 meters in length, ran aground in the Hooghly river near Garchumuk, which is in West Bengal’s Howrah district. The reason for the incident was a steering failure, according to a Kolkata port official.
The vessel was transporting 338 containers from Port Kelang in Malaysia and was headed to Netaji Subhash Dock under Kolkata Dock System. Luckily, the ship’s master, Edwin Deen Ramas, and the 20 crew members, who were all from the Philippines and Malaysia, are safe. The grounding happened around 11:30 am.
To assist with the situation, a pilot from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata has boarded the vessel, and tugboats from Kolkata and Haldia have been sent to help pull the ship free. The authorities expect the operation to be completed either by Wednesday night or early Thursday, taking advantage of the high tide.
The master of the vessel has been advised to properly secure the containers to prevent any of them from falling into the water. As of now, there have been no reports of an oil spill resulting from the incident. This accident is a reminder of how important it is to keep ships in good condition and to be prepared for any problems that might come up at sea. The authorities will closely monitor the situation and give updates until the ship is safely moving again.
