STEEL BARGE SINKS IN BAY OF BENGAL
In the first such incident since the time steel barges were allowed in the old anchorage port, a steel barge (KKD 81 No. Steel Barge), with a capacity of
600 metric tonnes, carrying broken rice capsized off Kakinada coast around 4 am on Sunday.
The incident happened around four nautical miles from the shore near Hope Island in Bay of Bengal. There were no casualties as around
18 workers on board jumped in time and swam to safety to a nearby boat.
According to eyewitnesses, high tidal waves hit the barge. The ferociousness was such that surf waters entered the vessel and it sank within minutes. The barge was carrying broken rice to be shipped to West Africa. The nearby boats belonged to Raipur-based Satya Balaji Rice Industries at Raipur, which was exporting the stock.
Despite the peril, port workers made valiant bids to save the barge but gave up as the sea was very rough and waves were tossing it.
Eyewitnesses said that the waves rose up to three metres.
Another barge (No. 39) in the vicinity, however, stayed put in the same area. It was felt that the ill-fated barge could have been saved had it remained still. Meanwhile, the workers informed the persons concerned who sent tugs to get the workers back to the shore.
Port officer in-charge and Superintendent Engineer G.V. Raghava Rao visited the spot along with his staff and conducted a preliminary survey. He told this reporter that he would submit a report to the state government, soon thereafter.
He said that Satyam Balaji Rice Industries was exporting broken rice through C&F agent Lotus Marine Services. Barge No. KKD 81 took-off around 10 pm on Saturday and reached the spot at around 5 am on Sunday when the sea turned rough and there were high speed winds at the accident spot.
Efforts are on to retrieve the barge on a war-footing. A comprehensive inquiry has been ordered into the incident. He also said that the services of expert divers from Visakhapatnam would be requisitioned to bring out the barge.
Port Police Circle Inspector P. Srinivasa Rao said that nobody had lodged a complaint on the incident and the police will make an inquiry only after receiving a complaint.