Distressed Tanker Rescued and Berthed at Paradip Port

A tanker carrying around 9,000 metric tonnes of crude palm oil was safely berthed at Paradip Port on Monday after suffering a main engine failure and listing due to water ingress into its ballast tanks. The vessel, MT Seagull 9, was about 35 nautical miles from the Paradip Pilot Station when it raised the alarm on Sunday morning, listing around 10 degrees as flooding outpaced de-ballasting efforts. The tanker was carrying cargo for Paradip Port on behalf of Adani Wilmar. The vessel's agent, Atlantic Global Shipping Pvt Ltd, alerted authorities at 5.01 am on Sunday, prompting involvement from the Indian Coast Guard, the Directorate General of Shipping and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre. Following coordination among these agencies, the Directorate General of Maritime Administration authorised Paradip Port Authority to deploy a harbour tug. The tug Dolphin 25 left port at 1.40 pm on Sunday under the harbour master's supervision and reached the tanker by 5.24 pm. After an external assessment, the rescue team boarded the vessel and completed the tow-line connection by 5.54 pm, bringing the tanker into Paradip Port limits with minimum engine assistance. It was secured at berth NQ2 at around 4 pm on Monday without further incident. The operation was coordinated by Paradip Port Authority alongside the Directorate General of Shipping, Indian Coast Guard, Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, Ocean Sparkle Ltd and other stakeholders, with support from the Indian Navy. PPA chairperson Susanta Kumar Purohit credited timely coordination and professional response for ensuring the safety of the vessel, crew, cargo and marine environment.