Ballast tank failure led to cargo ship listing in Kochi; Russian captain confirms human error

KOCHI: The Marine Mercantile Department (MMD) said that it was a failure in the ballast tank that sank the Liberian cargo ship off the Kochi coast. Ballast tanks store water at the bottom of the ship to ensure balance. One of the starboard tanks got filled with too much water, causing the ship to tilt and sink.

The attempt to save the capsized ship was complicated by bad weather. There is also an investigation into whether it was the inexperience of the first officer that led to the incident. Russian Captain Ivanov Alexander confirmed that it was indeed human error that led to the ship sinking. Following the accident, the power supply was cut off and the ship was plunged into darkness. The MMD completely rejected the claim that bad weather was the cause of the accident.

The ship, which was carrying 20 Filipinos, two Ukrainian nationals and a Georgian, was carrying 643 containers from Vizhinjam to Kochi on Friday morning. The accident occurred at 1.35 pm on Saturday, 38 nautical miles (70 km) off the coast of Kochi.

Ballasting:

• The process of adding and removing seawater from different compartments in the bottom to adjust the balance and depth as cargo is loaded.

• This is essential for the safety and smooth movement of the ship

• Container ships will have many powerful motors and a network of pipes for this

• Ballast will be required depending on the situation when travelling in rough seas

• There are guidelines for this from the International Maritime Organization