PARADIP: Panic gripped the crew of a vessel berthed at the Paradip International Cargo Terminal (PICT) after seawater entered one of its cargo holds through a leak caused by an accident during cargo loading on Saturday. The leak was plugged in the afternoon.
The incident occurred at PICT, a leased terminal within the restricted area of Paradip Port near gate no 5. Sources said the vessel, African SJB, was berthed at PICT berth no 1 and was loading steel slabs when the mishap took place.
Sources said a 27-tonne steel slab being lifted by a crane fell after the lifting rope snapped. The slab crashed onto the hatch floor, creating a hole that allowed seawater to enter the cargo hold. The rope failure also caused the vessel to become unstable, further complicating the loading operation.
A PICT staff member alleged that inadequate supervision and monitoring during cargo handling contributed to the accident. The vessel was scheduled to load 33,000 metric tonnes of steel slabs for export to the UK. Sources said loading operations will resume only after the vessel is declared safe and the situation is fully stabilised.
Repeated attempts to contact PICT officials for comment were unsuccessful.