Kandla: Twenty-one crew members on board a Hong Kong-flagged product tanker had a miraculous escape after a major explosion and fire on the vessel on Sunday. The MT Fulda was on its way to Port Sohar in Oman from Kandla in Gujarat.
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) assets responded immediately and undertook rescue operations. A pollution control vessel has also been deployed by the ICG.
According to the Directorate General of Shipping, the explosion was reported around 1.05 pm during gas-freeing operations on board the tanker. The accident was reported by a passing vessel Team Focus.
The 26-year-old MT Fulda that left Kandla at 11 am, is said to have listed 22 degrees to starboard after the explosion and then shifted to port as corrective actions were taken on board.
“Though it was initially reported that things are under control, the vessel’s master formally requested evacuation at 7 pm. There was severe structural damage to the ship. All 21 crew members — including 11 Chinese, two Bangladeshi, one Indonesian, and seven Myanmarese nationals — were safely taken off the vessel by the tug Orchid Star, dispatched from Kandla,” an official said.
Though no oil spill has been reported as yet, the vessel of 19,477 dwt, owned by Hong Kong-based Fulda Industrial, was known to be carrying 384.17 tonnes of fuel at the time of the accident.
Officials are looking into allegations of improper handling of flammable vapours by crew during gas-freeing operations. This is a hazardous yet routine procedure used to ventilate tanks of residual volatile gases before maintenance or loading the next cargo. Fulda had carried methanol to Kandla, and inadequate flushing and purging may have allowed a flammable vapour-air mix to build up, experts suspect. They said that a lack of proper bonding or poorly maintained equipment may have created static electricity, igniting the mixture.
Apart from two two tugs, the ICGS C-429, and the pollution control vessel ICGS Samudra Pavak were deployed to the site. The tanker is still afloat, with no signs of water ingress. Two ICG interceptor boats continue to monitor the situation. All surrounding vessels have been advised to maintain safe distance to prevent fire or pollution hazards.