SINGAPORE: A Singapore-flagged container ship crashed into a riverbank in West Bengal, India, on Wednesday (Aug 12), reportedly due to turbulent conditions and possible steering malfunctions.
A video of the incident, posted on social media on Aug 12, shows a vessel loaded with containers heading directly at a riverbank before crashing into the embankment.
There were no injuries reported in the incident.
The vessel, Nawata Bhum, is a Singapore-flagged container ship according to vessel tracking platform MarineTraffic.
The vessel had departed Port Klang in Malaysia on Aug 3 and was on its way to Kolkata’s Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port.
AsiaOne, citing tracking data from MarineTraffic, reported that the vessel crashed into an embankment near Diamond Harbour at around 11am local time (1.30pm Singapore time) on Aug 12.
The harbour is located about 50km south of Kolkata.
MarineTraffic said the ship “failed to recover from a bend in the river” at Diamond Harbour after sailing approximately 50km from the port.
The tracking platform said the vessel’s failure to turn is mainly due to strong currents and turbulent conditions, as well as a suspected steering malfunction.
Local media outlet The Hans India reported that River Hooghly, where the accident took place, is known for its sharp bends and bars.
“The steering gear sometimes gets stuck, particularly when a ship is attempting to recover from a turn,” a local official told The Hans India.
The official added that once the ship’s captain realised the vessel’s steering was jammed, he alerted the surrounding by constantly blaring the vessel’s horn.
The video shows no ferries in the vessel’s path as it headed for a collision.
Immediately after the crash, the ship’s pilot contacted the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority and reported it, MarineTraffic reported.
According to MarineTraffic and The Hans India, tugboats were dispatched to the accident location, and they will wait for the next high tide to pull out the container ship.
The Straits Times has contacted Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority, and the ship’s owner Regional Container Lines for more information. - The Straits Times/ANN
