Failure in ship's ballast water management system could have caused mishap off Kerala coast
Preliminary investigation shows the ship mishap off the Kerala coast could be due mechanical failure in the ship's ballast water management system, officials at the Directorate General of Shipping — India's nodal maritime authority – have said.
Speaking to the media in Kochi three days after Liberian container ship ELSA 3 capsize sparked fears of an oil spill, Ajith Sukumaran, chief surveyor at the Directorate General of Shipping, said the mishap was still under investigation and is being 'deeply looked into from all angles'.
The Liberia-flagged MSC ELSA 3, a 28-year-old vessel, was sailing from Vizhinjam port in Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi when it capsized around 25 km southwest of Alappuzha. The ship, which went down with more than 600 containers, was carrying 367.1 tonnes of very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) and 84.44 tonnes of marine diesel fuel.
'But our preliminary inference is that it is connected with some kind of mechanical failure in the ship's ballast water management system, which should have ensured the stability of the vessel. It could be a failure or lack of understanding,' he said.
The ballast water management system might not have worked properly, he said.
'That is why the ship listed (tilted) 26 degrees, which resulted in complete loss of power in the vessel, leading to incapacitation of the entire operation of the ship. Only a probe will reveal whether it could have been avoided or not,' he said.
There is no evidence of any other incident — including any breach of hull – he said.
On seaworthiness of the ship, the principal surveyor said there was no ceiling on how long a ship can be used. 'It depends upon the commercial decision of the ship owner. Otherwise, if a ship is certified as fit for operation by competent agencies, it is permitted to be operated on the Indian coast. The vessel, as per our investigation, has fully complied with international requirements,' he said.
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