PARADIP: A Filipino crew member working on a vessel at Paradip port died after he fell from a height of 30 feet while cleaning the crane cabin on Wednesday. This marks the second crew member fatality at Paradip port within a month, sparking concerns about the safety protocols prevalent at the port.
Sources revealed that the Malta-flagged vessel MV Yuka D berthed at Paradip port last Tuesday to load approximately 27,000 MT of cargo. The vessel, which arrived from Chittagong port in Bangladesh, had 21 crew members on board. During the vessel’s anchorage at Paradip port, the Filipino crew member, Quirao Earl Wilhelm Azarcon, 26, working as a seaman, was cleaning the crane cabin at a height of 30 feet when he fell and sustained severe head and facial injuries, leading to his death on the spot.
Local workers allege inadequate safety measures contributed to the accident. They claimed that had Wilhelm used a safety belt while cleaning the crane cabin, the fatality could have been prevented.
IIC of Marine police station, Babita Dehury, stated, “The police have registered an unnatural death case in connection with the incident. The body has been seized and sent to Kujang hospital for postmortem. An investigation is on to determine the cause of death. The Philippines Embassy has been informed to facilitate the handover of the deceased crew member’s body to his family within one or two days.”
Last month, a 28-year-old contract worker, Bibhuti Barik from Biswambarpur in Cuttack district, employed by Orissa Stevedores Ltd., died of suffocation due to a lack of oxygen while working aboard the MV Thrasyvoulos, which was docked at the South Quay for loading pet coke.