Suspected killer ship sails into Chennai waters

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on March 6, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/suspected-killer-ship-sails-into-chennai-waters/369862.html

CHENNAI: Acting on the order of the Directorate General of Shipping (DG), M V Prabhu Daya, the ship  suspected to be involved in a fatal collision near Kerala coast a few days ago, reached the outer anchorage of Chennai Port on Monday evening. According to Chennai Port Trust sources, the vessel that has been allowed to berth at Bharathi Dock,   reached the outer perimeter of the Chennai Port late in the evening and was expected to berth in the early  hours of Tuesday.

Once the suspected ship is docked, it will be subjected to a detailed probe by different agencies, including the five-member team of Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) to ascertain the truth behind the fatal mid-sea mishap.

“Our officials (including one from Kerala) would board the ship on Tuesday morning to conduct the necessary enquiry as mandated by the Directorate General of Shipping,” a senior MMD official told Express. According to sources, the other teams that would be boarding the vessel along with the MMD’s surveyors are likely to conduct a series of inquiries with the crew members of the ship.

Besides, the probe team would also collect information about the movement of vessel and its journey-history through its voyage data recorder (VDR) during the time of the mishap, near the Kerala coast.

Though the ship was expected at Chennai Port by Sunday evening, its arrival was delayed as one of its crew members went missing in Sri Lankan waters and was eventually rescued by the local fishermen on Sunday.

After inspecting the vessel, the probe teams are likely to submit a comprehensive report with the DG Shipping, who will take a final call on whether the ship was indeed involved in the fatal collision off the Kerala coast.