IANS/Mumbai


An Indian Navy helicopter hovers over of the sinking M V Rak Carrier off the coast of Mumbai yesterday
Shipping authorities have ordered an inquiry into the sinking of cargo ship M V Rak Carrier off the Mumbai coast in the Arabian Sea yesterday morning.
The coast guard rescued the 30-member international crew from the Panamanian flagged ship. The vessel had sent out a distress call around 8am to the maritime authorities after a suspected leak led to heavy flooding.
The authorities have also served a notice to the Panama maritime authorities, from where the vessel was registered and to the ship owners, manager and local agent under provisions of Merchant Shipping Act, 1958.
The Bombay Port Trust and the National Hydrographic Officer, Dehradun, were told to issue navigational warning about the 225 metre long ship, three-fourths of which is now submerged.
All concerned agencies like the Mumbai collector, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, director-general of lighthouse and lightships, the two port authorities and others were informed to initiate appropriate action against the ship owners and insurers.
The ship, owned and managed by Delta Shipping Marine Services, was carrying 290 tonnes of fuel oil and another 50 tonnes of diesel. It was on a voyage from Lubuk-Tutung, Indonesia to Dahej Port, Gujarat, carrying 60,000 tonnes of coal cargo.
The crewmen included Indonesians, Jordanians and Romanians.
On getting the distress signal, the coast guard and other agencies concerned with maritime safety immediately dispatched two helicopters and a smaller vessel to the sinking ship, anchored around 25 nautical miles off south Mumbai.
“Within a couple of hours, we succeeded in rescuing all 30 crewmen, including 11 who had jumped into the sea. They have been brought ashore to Mumbai,” coast guard spokesman R V Prasad said.