The Indian Coast Guard prevented the possible loss of the tanker Seagull 9 after the vessel suffered a main engine failure and flooding of its ballast tanks in the Bay of Bengal.
The incident occurred on the morning of September 27, approximately 37 nautical miles east-southeast of Paradip Port, off the coast of the Indian state of Odisha. The Belize-flagged tanker was sailing from Malaysia to India with approximately 9,000 tonnes of palm oil on board.
Following the main engine failure, water began rapidly entering the ballast tanks. The vessel developed a dangerous list to port, prompting its crew to transmit a distress signal. Twenty-three people were aboard the tanker.
The Indian Coast Guard deployed the patrol vessel ICGS Vishwast to the scene. A specialised damage-control team boarded the unstable tanker and began emergency operations.
The responders installed submersible pumps, removed water from the ballast tanks and stopped the continuing flooding. The team also blanked two damaged seawater pipelines and sealed a third fractured line.
Simultaneous cargo-transfer and de-flooding operations helped stabilise the vessel and eliminate the immediate risk of capsizing or sinking.
The Coast Guard additionally deployed a pollution-control vessel, another patrol ship and a Dornier aircraft to monitor the situation. A minor palm-oil sheen was detected near the tanker, but it had completely dissipated by September 28.
After being stabilised, Seagull 9 was taken under tow by the port tug Dolphin and moved to a secure anchorage off Paradip. Repairs to the tanker’s main engine began while ICGS Vishwast remained in the area to monitor the vessel.
All 23 crew members are safe.
