“The loading work was completed around 9am. Around 10.40am, the ship began to keel to the left and capsized within 15 minutes. Why the ship keeled in the first place and how it capsized so fast is under investigation,” said Kolkata Port senior public relations officer, Sanjoy Kumar Mukherjee.
“The ship’s captain appears to have made an error in the ship’s loading planning. Director general (shipping) Mercantile Marine Department (Kolkata) is conducting the inquiry,” an official said. The ship has an all-Bangladeshi crew.
The ship that was built in 2018 measures 83m in length and 16m wide. Port officials said floating and floor cranes were being positioned to start salvage operations. “All possible measures are being undertaken to control the situation and minimize the loss to cargo or vessel. Efforts are also underway to salvage the containers that have sunk with help from the terminal operators and insurance companies,” the official added.
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