A challenging monsoon season continues to cause challenges for the salvors of container ship SSL Kolkata (IMO 9346574), which caught fire and grounded in the in the Bay of Bengal last month.
The vessel remains aground in soft mud some 7.5 nm off the Indian Sunderbans, Kolkata, West Bengal, after an explosion in one of the containers caused a fire on board the vessel on June 13th.
An oil spill response team is in the process of managing the pollution threat, said Shreyas Shipping & Logistics Limited, operators of the stricken ship. Salvors Smit have mobilized the SMIT Borneo platform, which is currently en route to the casualty site to assist with the removal of the remaining bunker, cargo and debris.
SSL KOLKATA was sailing from Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh to Kolkata when a fire broke out due to an explosion in one of the containers. The crew, which stayed on board to battle the fire, was eventually forced to evacuate due to the intensity of the blaze. All 22 crew members were rescued by the Indian Coast Guard and unharmed.
The vessel then went adrift and later grounded. It has now developed a list to starboard, with the deck now part-submerged.
Responders have been working to remove the ship’s bunker fuel and cargo in an effort to minimize potential pollution. Specialist clean-up contractor Le Floch Depollution has been retained and is currently on site in the event of an oil leakage.
2006-built, India-flagged, 9,956 gt SSL Kolkata is owned and managed by Shreyas Shipping & Logistics of Mumbai, India. ISM manager is TW Ship Management Pvt Ltd of Mumbai, India. It is entered with North of England Club on behalf of Shreyas Shipping & Logistics Ltd.