a day ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Safety compromised? Second ship mishap in two weeks raises concerns
KOCHI: Two weeks after MSC Elsa 3 sank into the depths of the Arabian Sea around 14.6 nautical miles off the Kerala coast, the state's coastal waters have witnessed another mishap involving a container ship.
Wan Hai 503, a Singapore-flagged vessel that set sail from Colombo on June 7 to its next port of call, Nhava Shara in Mumbai, encountered a massive fire on board after an explosion in one of the containers.
While four crew members went missing and five others sustained burns, the incident raises many questions regarding maritime safety, precautionary measures while transporting hazardous cargo, and shipping of undeclared or misdeclared cargo. 'Apart from polluting the marine environment, these incidents have brought humiliation to our maritime sector,' former Coast Guard director general Prabhakaran Paleri told TNIE.
'After the MSC Elsa 3 incident, there was total confusion on the procedure to follow during such accidents. We should have a contingency plan. DG (Directorate General) Shipping, Kerala government, and the Kerala Maritime Board should work in coordination.' He said the government should form an inquiry commission to look into various aspects of the incident.
