Messy Ship Collision off Mumbai

Things have turned into a mess following a collision involving the container ship, MSC Chitra, and the bulk carrier, M/V Khalijia III.  The collision has left the MSC Chitra partially aground with a severe list, leaking fuel oil, and losing containers into the seaway.  Further complicating the environmental problem is the potential hazard posed to a nearby nuclear research site which uses seawater to cool several reactors.  Indian authorities have asked the facility to stop using the polluted water for cooling purposes until the spill can be cleaned up.  How that will eventually effect their operations remains to be seen.

The Wall Street Journal reports the following:

The M.S.C. Chitra and M.V. Khalijia III collided around five nautical miles off the Mumbai coast Saturday morning. The impact caused the fully loaded Chitra, which was carrying 1,219 containers, to run aground and start tilting at a 75 degree angle.

Authorities have started trying to round up the floating containers and have told fishermen to stop fishing in the area. Oil and other toxic chemicals from within the ships and their cargo could threaten the wildlife on the coast.

The Indian Coast Guard in a statement said that the oil spill from M.S.C. Chitra has stopped, but its ships continue to monitor the situation.

Mumbai Port Trust officials say that the collision of the vessels may have happened as they were using two different radio frequencies to notify others of their position in the waters off India’s commercial capital.

“The inquiry into the reason for the collision is on, but it seems like there was a communication problem,” said Rahul Asthana, chairman of the Mumbai Port Trust.

The listing Chitra, and its containers, have made navigation around Mumbai’s two ports dangerous. The Mumbai Port Trust and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, which each handle more than 100,000 tons of cargo per day, were both affected.

Find more on the incident at the Maritime Bulletin.

Reuters Video Clip:

Although fault has not yet been determined, is should be noted that the MSC Chitra reportedly does not have a clean safety record.  The following video report indicates the vessel has a string of critical safety issues, including Safety Management deficiencies and has been detained in several ports in recent years.

Ship details:

Boxship MSC Chitra – IMO 7814838, dwt 38352, built 1980, flag Panama, manager MSC.
Bulk carrier Khalijia 3 – IMO 8128690, dwt 45798, built 1985, flag S-Kitts, manager Quadrant Maritime Pvt. Ltd.