Haldia (WB) May 16: An Indonesian cargo vessel laden with soda ash and diesel, grounded off Haldia coast, was getting flooded due to a hole formed in its bow becoming larger today, as its 22 member crew was rescued by the coast guard, 30 km from Sagar islands. Describing the 20-year-old vessel, which was half a mile away from the main shipping channel, as being in very bad condition, a coast guard spokesman said that an urgent meeting was being held to salvage the ship to prevent its cargo from polluting the waters. The ship 'Sigitika Biru', sailing from Porbander in Gujarat to Chittagong in Bangladesh, was damaged after it hit the sandheads, when it sailed through the severe cyclone in the Bay of Bengal. The condition of its hull deteriorated after being buffeted by choppy seas due to bad weather, but efforts were being made to keep it afloat till the cargo of 5300 tonnes of soda ash and 150 tonnes of diesel could be offloaded, Kolkata port trust sources said.

Bureau Report