CG averts looming maritime disaster near Nicobar Islands

Port Blair, Dec 28 (UNI) The Indian Coast Guard (CG) has successfully prevented an Indonesian vessel from grounding off the Tarasa Island of Nicobar.

CG Public Relaitons Officer Commandant Akshay Jain told UNI today that the ship was drifting dangerously towards the Nicobar group of islands for the past two weeks following engine failure.

''CG ship Vajra has sucessfully towed the disabled ship safely to the Port Blair Harbour for emergency repairs. Earlier, four ships had run aground in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the past two years, affecting the ecology of the islands,'' Mr Jain said.

The Indonesian ship - MT Khadijah - had informed about its engine failure to the CG headquarters at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on December 21.

Immediately, an International Safety Network was activated so that any vessel, passing in a radius of 100 nautical miles around the distressed vessel, could be diverted to render immediate assistance.

The next day a CG dornier, launched from Port Blair, located the vessel in distress, following which, the timely commencement of the salvage operations was ensured as with every passing hour, the vessel, with 140 tons of marine fuel oil, was drifting precariously close to the Nicobar group of Islands, the CG commandant added.

Consequently, the CG averted a situation which would have proved detrimental to the ecologically sensitive islands by polluting the delicate eco-system.

UNI