MPT averts major disaster on Goan beaches

Panaji, Jul 2 (UNI) Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) today claimed to have averted a major mishap by towing away a vessel, 'M V Kinship Prosperity', in distress late yesterday night.

The vessel, owned by M/s Kinship Private Limited of Kochi, was sailing from Cochin to Okha. During her passage along the Goan coastline, she encountered rough weather and suffered severe damages. Her engines also failed, forcing the sailors to cast anchor five miles off Calangute beach yesterday.

The vessel, though anchored, faced a grave risk of getting drifted due to strong winds and tidal currents and getting grounded at the beach, causing a situation similar to another vessel, 'River Princess', that had been aground for the last six years.

Anticipating the grave danger to the beaches of Goa, the MPT immediately got in touch with the Master of the vessel with a view to avoid any marine casualty.

The owners of the vessel also requested urgent help from the MPT in providing refuge. The Mormugao Port readily accepted the request and conveyed to the owners that they were ready to provide port of refuge facilities to the stricken vessel.

Accordingly, Mormugao Port made arrangements for accommodating the vessel at berth number 10. Yesterday evening, the vessel was able to make its engines and generator partly operational and somehow moved to the safety of Mormugao Port.

Though night movements are not done at Mormugao Port in the monsoon, taking into account the urgency of the case, the vessel was allowed to enter the channel at Mormugao Port in the darkness under the guidance of the Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) at Mormugao port and piloted to Berth no 10 without any further incident.

The vessel is now safely berthed and is undergoing repairs for its onward voyage to Kochi, thanks to the alertness of the Marine Department of MPT.

UNI BM SSS SY CS2255