Singapore-registered container ship crashes into riverbank in India; MPA to probe incident
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The Hooghly River, where the crash took place, is known for its sharp bends and bars.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM MR.SUVENDUDAS/INSTAGRAM
- A Singapore-flagged container ship, Nawata Bhum, crashed into a riverbank near Diamond Harbour, West Bengal, due to strong currents and suspected steering malfunction.
- No injuries were reported, and the ship's captain alerted nearby vessels by sounding the horn continuously before the crash.
- Tugboats were sent to the site, and they will wait for high tide to pull the vessel out, with the authorities contacted for further action.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – A Singapore-flagged container ship crashed into a riverbank in West Bengal, India, on Aug 12, reportedly owing 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 towards a riverbank before crashing into the embankment of the Hooghly River.
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.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Aug 13 that it had been informed of the accident.
“The vessel has since been refloated and is stable,” said an MPA spokesperson, who added that it is currently at anchor.
A refloated vessel is one that is floating in water again after it has run aground or sunk.
The authority added that there were no reported injuries among the 22 crew members on board, nor were there any Singaporeans on the vessel.
No pollution has been reported from the crash, MPA said, adding that it will investigate the incident.
The vessel’s failure to turn was mainly attributed to strong currents and turbulent conditions, as well as a suspected steering malfunction, according to MarineTraffic.
Local media outlet The Hans India reported that the Hooghly River, 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 media outlet.
The official added that once the ship’s captain realised the vessel’s steering was jammed, he blared the vessel’s horn to alert others in the area.
The video shows no ferries in the vessel’s path as it heads for a collision with the riverbank.
The ship’s pilot reported the incident to the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority immediately after the crash, MarineTraffic reported.
According to MarineTraffic and The Hans India, tugboats were dispatched to the accident location and will wait for the next high tide to pull out the container ship.
The Straits Times has contacted the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority, and the ship’s owner Regional Container Lines for more information.
