KOLKATA: In a bold operation involving marine commandos (Marcos), the Navy in spite of everything arrested the waft of the burning MV SSL Kolkata in opposition to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and Bangladesh on Saturday morning. The crewless vessel was once also inching threateningly nearer to the Sunderbans.
“We succeeded in losing the starboard (right) anchor and the send is now not moving. While our team was once on board there were 4 explosions. Though the fire on board isn’t a big one, dense smoke is spewing out from boxes to the centre of the vessel. Otherwise, there appears to be no structural damage to the send and the rapid risk of an oil spill doesn’t exist. We won instructions from the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) in Visakhapatnam to stop the send from coming near the Sunderbans delta. There was once risk of the send capsizing on a sandbar, causing pollution,” Commodore Suprobho Ok De, naval officer-in-charge, West Bengal, mentioned.
The determination to send in a team of Marcos and mariners was once taken on Friday itself and a Seaking 42C helicopter and a Dornier had been dispatched from the ENC. The helicopter not only carried Marcos but additionally divers, shipwrights and seamanship consultants who spent the night at Air Force Station Kalaikunda. The anti-submarine struggle corvette INS Kadmatt that was once exercising within the Bay of Bengal on Friday was once also urged to continue to the spot. Since Thursday morning, when the 22-member staff abandoned the MV SSL Kolkata, the send had drifted just about 15 nautical miles (about 28 km) in a northeasterly course.
“The two aircraft took off from AFS Kalaikunda at 7.30am and reached the spot by 8.45am. The first particular person to be winched down was once a commando who carried thermal imaging equipment to check atmosphere. On receiving confirmation that issues had been slightly secure, a team of 3 mariners had been decreased. They first dropped the anchor and stopped the send. They also attached a thick tow rope and passed it via a ‘bull-ring’, permitting it to trail within the water. This will assist salvagers tow the send with out boarding it. This took just about 30-40 mins and there were also plans to check if the engines can also be restarted. This was once not imaginable because of the explosions and the dense smoke and wind that wouldn’t permit the helicopter to hover over the send. The team was once then extricated, and the aircraft landed at Kalaikunda by 10.45am,” Commodore De mentioned.
The INS Kadmatt was once also withdrawn thereafter. Coast Guard vessels and Dorniers persevered to maintain vigil on the spot. The send’s house owners Shreyas Shipping and Logistics has already engaged Singaporebased SMIT Salvage to tow the vessel to safety. Experts from the firm have left Haldia in two tugs employed from KoPT and reached the spot on Saturday evening.
“We succeeded in losing the starboard (right) anchor and the send is now not moving. While our team was once on board there were 4 explosions. Though the fire on board isn’t a big one, dense smoke is spewing out from boxes to the centre of the vessel. Otherwise, there appears to be no structural damage to the send and the rapid risk of an oil spill doesn’t exist. We won instructions from the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) in Visakhapatnam to stop the send from coming near the Sunderbans delta. There was once risk of the send capsizing on a sandbar, causing pollution,” Commodore Suprobho Ok De, naval officer-in-charge, West Bengal, mentioned.
The determination to send in a team of Marcos and mariners was once taken on Friday itself and a Seaking 42C helicopter and a Dornier had been dispatched from the ENC. The helicopter not only carried Marcos but additionally divers, shipwrights and seamanship consultants who spent the night at Air Force Station Kalaikunda. The anti-submarine struggle corvette INS Kadmatt that was once exercising within the Bay of Bengal on Friday was once also urged to continue to the spot. Since Thursday morning, when the 22-member staff abandoned the MV SSL Kolkata, the send had drifted just about 15 nautical miles (about 28 km) in a northeasterly course.
“The two aircraft took off from AFS Kalaikunda at 7.30am and reached the spot by 8.45am. The first particular person to be winched down was once a commando who carried thermal imaging equipment to check atmosphere. On receiving confirmation that issues had been slightly secure, a team of 3 mariners had been decreased. They first dropped the anchor and stopped the send. They also attached a thick tow rope and passed it via a ‘bull-ring’, permitting it to trail within the water. This will assist salvagers tow the send with out boarding it. This took just about 30-40 mins and there were also plans to check if the engines can also be restarted. This was once not imaginable because of the explosions and the dense smoke and wind that wouldn’t permit the helicopter to hover over the send. The team was once then extricated, and the aircraft landed at Kalaikunda by 10.45am,” Commodore De mentioned.
The INS Kadmatt was once also withdrawn thereafter. Coast Guard vessels and Dorniers persevered to maintain vigil on the spot. The send’s house owners Shreyas Shipping and Logistics has already engaged Singaporebased SMIT Salvage to tow the vessel to safety. Experts from the firm have left Haldia in two tugs employed from KoPT and reached the spot on Saturday evening.
Navy anchors burning ship in three-hour operation
Reviewed by Kailash
on
June 17, 2018
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