Kerala - Kochi   

Cochin Port Trust, ship owner on collision course

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: The Cochin Port Trust and the owner of m.v. Maria S., an Albanian ship that sank off the Kochi coast on Sunday evening, appear to be on a collision course. The trust has asked the owner to remove the wreckage within 15 days, and accused the latter and the captain of not producing certificates and papers demanded by it. The trust says that neither the vessel nor its crew had insurance cover.

The owner, Dea Shipping and Forwarding, Marshall Island, it is learnt, has decided to go to court, accusing the trust of neglecting distress calls from the ship and seeking compensation.

Under the Indian Ports Act, 1908, the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 and the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, the owner and the captain of the ship should arrange for the removal of the wreckage, says the trust, which has served a notice on the owner for removing the wreckage and submitting a security deposit. Alleging that the two are trying to flee the country without meeting these obligations, the trust has lodged a complaint with the police so that they will not leave the country before an inquiry is conducted and without meeting the legal requirements.

The vessel, says the trust, arrived at the outer anchorage of the port on June 26. According to the initial message received by the port control that day, it was waiting for purchase of provisions and instructions from the owner.

On June 27, the trust received a message from the Mercantile Marine Department, Kochi, stating that the vessel, bound for Albania from China, had been detained for Port State Control in the outer harbour, as it had developed a leak on the hull.

The Port State Control is the inspection of foreign ships to verify their condition and equipment to see if these comply with the requirements of international regulations and that the ships are manned and operated in compliance with these rules.

On June 29, the department carried out the Port State Control at anchorage and on the following day, at 5 p.m., the captain informed the Port Control that the vessel was in distress and wanted to enter the port. Personnel of the Marine Department of the Port rescued the crew — 10 Albanians and five Indians and steered the sinking vessel from the shipping channel.

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