The container vessel from Malaysia that ran aground in the Hooghly after a steering failure at Garchumuk in Howrah on Wednesday reached Kolkata on Thursday afternoon after several hiccups, said an official of the Kolkata Port Trust (KPT).
MTT Singapore, carrying 338 cargo containers from Port Klang in Malaysia to Kolkata, refloated on its own around 10pm on Wednesday during high tide.
Thereafter, the vessel was anchored at Falta, said a KPT official. There was no damage to the vessel, nor was there any oil spillage.
However, during the onset of the morning tide, the vessel lost its starboard anchor in the river with all nine shackles of chain. It could not be recovered, said the official.
“The vessel was brought to Kolkata, escorted by a tug, Ocean Symphony. However, en route, there were problems with the main engine. The vessel had to anchor in-between for engine repairs,” said Sanjay Mukherjee, senior public relations officer, KPT.
The vessel was berthed at Netaji Subhas Dock at 5.40pm on Thursday.
“After the unloading of import cargo and loading of export cargo, the vessel would set sail again. Before that, the engine has to be repaired and the missing anchor replaced,” Mukherjee said.
The vessel was carrying assorted cargo, including chemicals, for companies in Kolkata, Howrah, North 24-Parganas and otherplaces.
An official at the Kolkata port said Nihar Ranjan Roy, a pilot at the port, brought the vessel to Netaji Subhas Dock.
The Telegraph reported on Friday that MTT Singapore, a 27-year-old vessel, hit the bank of Hooghly at Garchumuk, 48km from Netaji Subhas Dock, after the steering malfunctioned.
The vessel ran aground around 11.25am on Thursday at Pukuria Point.
As the steering malfunctioned, the vessel went out of control and the current of the water dragged it towards the bank.
KPT officials said a steering failure could be because of a number of reasons, including faulty parts of the steering or a problem with the oil that is used to operate it.
The master of the vessel, Edwin Deen Ramas from the Philippines, along with 20 crew members, from the Philippines and Malaysia, are safe.
Two tugs from Kolkata and Haldia were sent to Garchumuk to pull the vessel and set it free. “The vessel, however, refloated on it’s own,” said a KPT official.
