The Mumbai port saw yet another accident on Tuesday when an offshore supply vessel collided with a coastal vessel at the Indira Docks. There was no oil spill or loss of life. At 7.30 a.m. offshore supply vessel Beas Dolphin was being docked at berth no.5 when it “brushed” the “mini-bulk carrier” Nand Hajara, an official press release stated. Nand Hajara had already docked at the port the day before and was discharging its cargo of steel coils. The collision resulted in a hole in Nand Hajara's water tank causing ingress of water and tilting of the vessel by 7 degrees.
“The vessel has since discharged its cargo and is now upright. This minor incident did not lead to any injuries or oil spill,” the note said.
P. Mohana Chandran, Secretary, Mumbai Port Trust, told The Hindu the accident could have been due to human error. “It's a small incident which happened in the basin,” he said. There was no damage to any cargo or structure. Minor repairs are being carried out to Nand Hajara by the vessel owners and it is expected to sail out shortly.
The police have registered a case of rash navigation and damage to property against Captain Selvaraj and other crew members of Beas Dolphin. “It was just a matter of chance that the vessel hit the water tank and not the oil tank. How did this [collision] take place when there was a dock master,” wondered Quaiser Khalid, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Port Zone. He told The Hindu that the police were probing the incident. While docking itself, Beas Dolphin had overshot its location and was taking a reverse turn when it hit Nand Hajara.
