ITT Puma was carrying sand to Andamans when it sank (Lead)

Kolkata, Aug 26 (IANS) ITT Puma, the general cargo vessel that capsized in the Bay of Bengal, about 90 nautical miles (NM) south of Sagar Island, was carrying a load of sand from Kolkata to Port Blair, an official said.

"The capsize occurred much beyond the limits of SMP, Kolkata. We cannot say what actually happened. However, we can confirm that the cargo was sand," said the Spokesperson of Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (SMP), Kolkata.

Pervez Rahman, managing director of ITTP, the company that owned the ship, said that he did not know what the ship was carrying.

“There are so many items of general cargo that are ferried to the Andamans by sea. There can be steel items, food grains or consumer durables. I do not know what this ship was actually carrying. Sadly, three crew members are still missing,” Rahman said.

He said that the age of a ship has nothing to do with its seaworthiness, adding that inspections are carried out every five years and certificates of fitness are issued.

“Even a new ship needs a certificate every five years. The ITT Puma had a valid certificate,” Rahman said.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) confirmed that ITT Puma had nearly 20,000 (20 KL) of high-speed diesel in her tanks.

“If this fuel leaks, there is a possibility of pollution that may cause harm to marine life in the area,” the ICG said.

The ICG is maintaining watch and has located some flotsam on the sea near the coordinates where the ship sank.

In 2005, the MV Faiz, another ship owned by it, caught fire in the Bay of Bengal while carrying nearly 800 tonnes of pulses from Colombo to Kolkata.

In that tragic accident, the master of the vessel Capt P P Shelly, his wife Smitha and their children Lubin and Nidha were charred to death.

An ICG team that had boarded the ship in the high seas after the flames were doused, found four skulls close to the captain's cabin. Rajiv Lahiri, the chief officer of the vessel, is said to have jumped into the sea after the fire started. He was never traced.

The M V Faiz was being towed to Haldia by the MV Atif - another ship belonging to ITTF - when the rope mysteriously parted. The MV Faiz settled at the bottom of the sea with all evidence.

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