Double bulker collision off Gujarat's coast: 21 rescued by Indian Coast Guard; what we know so far
The Indian Coast Guard has already begun comprehensive pollution response measures in the wake of the collision between two bulk carriers off the coast of Gujarat's Kandla
The Indian Coast Guard has already begun comprehensive pollution response measures in the wake of the collision between two bulk carriers off the coast of Gujarat's Kandla.
The Indian Coast Guard has already begun comprehensive pollution response measures in the wake of the collision between two bulk carriers off the coast of Gujarat's Kandla.
The Indian Coast Guard has already begun comprehensive pollution response measures in the wake of the collision between two bulk carriers off the coast of Gujarat's Kandla.
At least 21 of the 24 crew members aboard the bulk carrier KMAX Emperor (IMO: 9477426) were evacuated by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Friday after it collided with another ship off the coast of Gujarat's Kandla.
The other ship that it collided with, off the Outer Tuna Buoy (OTB) in Kandla—the primary outer anchorage at the Deendayal Port—was also a bulk carrier, identified as the Barbados-flagged True Mariner (IMO: 9599822).
The remaining three crew members of the KMAX Emperor remain aboard the Liberian-flagged ship in order to support ongoing operations by the ICG.
"Concurrently, the Indian Coast Guard has activated comprehensive pollution response measures and is closely coordinating with Directorate General of Shipping, Central Agencies, and the State Administration," it wrote in a statement on X.
AIS data shows that the KMAX Emperor had come on September 9 all the way from the Port of Muara Berau in Indonesia with 85,968 metric tonnes of coal.
The True Mariner, however, was already docked at Kandla after making a short trip—just days earlier—from the Pipavav Port in the same state.
Notably, the 19-member crew of the True Mariner—comprising 12 Syrians, two Vietnamese nationals, and five Indians—had been onboard when the accident occurred.
According to an incident report from vesseltracker, the KMAX Emperor struck the bow of the docked ship in a way that caused its anchor chain to become entangled. However, the cause of the collision is not yet known.
Following the collision, the KMAX Emperor began to sink, dragging the other bulker along with it. The crew of the True Mariner then managed to release their anchor and move away from the scene to safety.
They also assisted the ICG in rescuing seven crew members from the other vessel.
This is the second major maritime disaster in Indian waters this year after the bulk carrier Ocean Winner (IMO: 9145530) on August 21 lost contact and sank off India's eastern coast after departing from Odisha's Paradip Port a day earlier.
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The Panama-flagged ship had been carrying 24 crew members, of whom 20 were Chinese, three were from Myanmar, and one was from Bangladesh.
Despite concerted efforts, only two of these 24 crew members aboard the ship could be rescued, after which the ICG confirmed that the ship had sunk in the Bay of Bengal.