From Daijiworld's special correspondent in Panaji
Karwar, Jun 2 (Friday, 10-15 pm): It was devastating end for Singapore-registered M V Ocean Serraya vessel, stranded off-Karwar coast near Devgad Island, when the huge ship broke into two pieces on Friday afternoon.
The oil which had began spilling from the ship a couple of days ago on Friday touched the south Goan beaches, triggering an alarm in the tiny Goa, on the tourism front.
"The ship has broken into two pieces. But there is nothing to worry as the portion with the tank has parted into entire a separate piece," confirmed commander R M Sharma, deputy inspector general, Indian coast guard.
The huge Singapore-registered vessel has been stranded in the rocks near Devgadh island since Monday night when it drifted towards the island on account of rough weather. All 21 crew members, except one, were rescued safely by the coast guard.
Even as the Indian coast guard helicopter, an aircraft and a vessel continued their operation to contain oil spill, riding on the westerly waves, the spill touched the Goan shores after hitting Karwar and Deobag coast.
"The spill has touched Polem beach on Goa-Karnataka border but the quantity is marginal," Comdt Sharma said, ruling out the possibility of the spill running further down the coast.
The Indian coast guard would continue their operations on Saturday to disintegrate the spill further.
In the meantime, the Karwar port authorities and district administration have laid booms around one kilometres surrounding the wrecked ship to contain the spill. "Various locally available material like coir fibre, palm tree leaves and others are used to control the spill from traveling further," the officials stated.
Daijiworld's earlier reports: