National Shipping Board recommends extra emergency towing vessel

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Nov 4, 2012: The National Shipping Board has decided to send a proposal to the union government for another emergency towing vessel for the east coast.

Captain M. M. Saggi, nautical advisor to the Government of India, told reporters that the lack of an emergency towing vessel caused a casualty along the coast of Chennai early this week, adding that stationing another towing vessel for the east coast will prevent such casualties in future.

 

He announced that an emergency towing vessel SCI Ratna will arrive at Chennai on Nov 7 to tow away MT Prathiba Cauvery, an oil vessel that got into trouble along the coast of Chennai. The salvage company is on board MT Prathiba Cauvery right now, making all possible attempts to float it once again. If they still do not succeed, SCI Ratna will be used to tow away the vessel.

According to the salvage company, the vessel got beached after losing its anchor and can be successfully refloated.

The Coast Guard could not launch rescue operations to rescue the sailors because of bad weather conditions. Even the port vessels could not go out under these circumstances. Finally, Carl Fernandes, captain of the ship, evacuated the crew and put the first batch of 22 sailors on the life boat. Unfortunately, six of them died of drowning because of the bad weather conditions. The bodies of five of them were found, and the sixth one, who somehow made it to the shore, died on the way to the hospital.

Director General of Shipping Gautam Chatterjee said that the mercantile maritime department has been ordered to investigate the case and submit a report. Although the captain called for help several times, the Indian Navy, the Coast Guard, and other authorities could not help because of the weather. The presence of an emergency towing vessel could have saved the lives of these sailors, said Captain Saggi.