Chennai: A case was registered under 5 sections of Indian Penal Code by Minjur police in Tiruvallur district in connection with last week’s collision of two ships near Ennore port, which led to a huge oil spill on the Chennai coast.
Based on a complaint from Captain AK Gupta, general manager, Kamarajar Port, the police registered a case against unknown people for rash navigation of vessel (IPC 280), negligent conduct with respect to combustible materials (IPC 285), voluntary causing hurt (IPC 338), mischief causing damage (IPC 427) and mischief causing injury / damage to public road, bridge, river or channel (IPC 431).
The incident happened on the morning of Saturday January 28 (Saturday) at 3.48 am and the complaint was given on the afternoon of February 2 by the port general manager.
“Last Saturday, early in the morning, the outbound vessel MT BW Maple carrying LPG under the command of captain Vinod Sahadevan and inbound vessel MT Dawn Kancheepuram carrying petrol oil and lubricants under the command of Shambu Nath Jha, and under the guidance of port captain Daniel Devaprakash collided at the approach of the harbour near Kamarajar Port.
The port captain V Karunanidhi disembarked from the vessel MT BW Maple at 3.24 am after Master’s consent,” said the police. After nearly 24 minutes, the ships collided. Port pilots help the captains of vessels to navigate from outer sea to the port.
In the collision, MT Maple sustained damage on the bulbous bow and flare of the vessel while POL carrier sustained breach in the space between engine room and tank besides on the accommodation port side, the police said. Due to damage, oil spill from MT Dawn Kancheepuram started and quantity of spillage is not known. The Port GM has told the police that an internal enquiry is already on.
