Indian Coast Guard Rescues Tanker
On receiving the distress call motor tanker MV Infinity I around 20 nautical miles from Goa on Wednesday evening, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) salvaged the vessel, its cargo and rescued 14 crew by dispatching ships from Goa. MV Infinity I reported water ingress and continuous listing (nautical term for tilting) to starboard (right side of the ship). The vessel had reported that the list is increasing despite ship's de-watering efforts. Such emergencies can lead to the sinking of the ship. The 83 m long MT Infinity-1 is an oil/asphalt carrier and was on coastal passage from Kandla port in Gujarat to Karwar in Karnataka with a 14-member Indian crew. She was carrying approximately 1750 tonnes of Asphalt. Indian Naval Ship Trikand from Western Naval Command immediately responded to the call.
Unhappy Ship's Engineer Repatriated
Malayali engineer Arun George Thomas, evacuated from an India-flagged ship off Goa coast after father obtained a court order. The evacuation was based on a High Court directive following a Habeas Corpus petition filed by Arun’s father who alleged that Arun was being illegally detained in the ship, reports The New Indian Express. Arun told Thrikkakara police that after he joined the ship in November from Sharjah, he came to know that it was not sea worthy and hence wanted to quit. But the authorities aboard threatened him and he was forced to continue on the ship, though the company later promised to relieve him in UAE, he was not released and the ship set sail for Singapore on Dec 6. The ship then broke down 8 nautical miles off the Goa coast.
