Sunday, August 8, 2010

Oil spill off Mumbai coast: Anti-pollution operations on

Six coastguard vessels and a helicopter with anti-pollution dispersal spray systems were pressed into service on Sunday to contain an oil spill caused due to a collision between two cargo ships off the Mumbai coast.

“Anti-pollution operations are underway. Six ships and one helicopter with anti-pollution disposal spray systems are on the job to contain the oil spill,” a coast guard official said.
“We are yet to locate the leakage as some portion of the outbound merchant vessel Chitra, which damaged in the collision, submerged after the mishap,” he said.
Meanwhile, Directorate General of Shipping’s Chief Nautical Advisor M.M. Savvi told PTI, “The Directorate General of Shipping has initiated investigation into the yesterday’s incident and the coast guard and senior officials (Directorate General of Shipping) are now at the sight.”
“Port operation is about to start and will reopen shortly,” he said.
Two Panamanian cargo ships collided yesterday off the Mumbai coast causing an oil spill from one of the vessels. However, no casualties were reported. Thirty-three crew members, including two Pakistanis, were rescued following the incident.