The Hindu Business Line : Excavators likely to bring cargo from beached ship

Mangalore, Sept. 10 SMIT International Salvage Company, the salvage team from Singapore that has begun pumping out water from the cargo hold of MV Cheng Le Men that beached off Mangalore coast on Friday, is likely to use excavators to shift the cargo from the ship.

Mr Mohan Kudari, Port Officer of Old Mangalore Port, told Business Line that the team held a meeting with the district administration on Monday.

The representatives from the team told the meeting that they were pumping out water from the cargo hold and are getting more pumps for the purpose.

After removing the water, excavators will be used on board to shift the cargo from the ship.

As many as 14 persons from the salvage team are on the job.

Asked about the stability of the ship, Mr Kudari said that the ship was steady and that there was nothing to worry.

Mr M.V. Badkar, District Commander, Coast Guard, Karnataka said that the Coast Guard has kept its helicopter on standby mode at Mangalore Airport to assist in salvage operations.

MV Cheng Le Men, with 16,000 tonnes of iron ore cargo, developed a list (tilt) on September 6, seven nautical miles away from Mangalore coast, during its onward journey from New Mangalore to China.

Following this, two tugs from New Mangalore Port were pressed into service to bring stability to the ship.

However, the captain of the ship beached it 1,400 m away from the shore on Friday to avoid further listing.