KENDRAPARA: Two massive containers of a sunken cargo ship filled with household goods were washed ashore on Satabhaya beach in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in Rajnagar block on Monday. The vessel, MV ITT Puma, had sunk in the sea last week.
Labels on the both the containers indicate they are owned by a logistics company called ITT Lines Pvt Ltd, Kolkata. MV ITT Puma, registered as a cargo vessel in Mumbai, was en route to Port Blair from Kolkata when it sank around 90 nautical miles south of Sagar Island in West Bengal.
Stormy weather had caused the containers to drift from the sunken ship. Police and forest officials rushed to the beach, cordoned off the area and warned people to keep a safe distance from the containers.
The authorities are still investigating the contents of the containers. “Most of the items in the containers were washed away as the doors were opened,” said DFO of Bhitarkanika national park, Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav.
The lure of the containers drew many locals to the beach. “I along with six others from nearby Magarakandha village rushed to the beach and removed several items from the containers including cutlery, food items, electronic goods, plastic items, sarees, bangles, dresses and other materials before police arrived,” said a local. An official of ITT Lines Pvt Ltd, Kolkata said, “All containers of the sunken ship have household materials. The ship was sailing from Kolkata to Port Blair when it capsised.” The Indian Coast Guard had rescued 11 crew members from the sunken ship last week.