Mangalore: With Ship in Distress Tannirbavi Turns Crowd-puller for Wrong Reason, Yet again
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (MM/MB)
Pics Dayanand Kukkaje
Update: Saturday, Sep 8 - 8-45 pm
Mangalore: For the second time in less than three months, the tourist spot of Tannirbavi beach came to attract large numbers of weekend crowds, again for reason involving a ship in trouble.
Families, bachelors, senior citizens, children - all seemed to be bitten by the bug of watching a prospective spectacle - although a sad one - of a sinking ship. However, the district administration, the port and coast guard officials, after the bitter episode of the sinking of MV DenDen, appeared to be better prepared and more alert this time.
However, the crowds may add a bit of nuisance value and hamper smooth operations of whatever form.
In the meantime, the fate of ‘Chang Le Men’ has not been decided so far. The rescuers arrived here from Singapore and are busy inspecting the ship that has been lying in a tilted state as at September 8 evening.
The rescuers reached Mangalore on Friday, September 7. And entered inside the tilted ship on Saturday, September 8th morning. Speaking to ‘daijiworld.com,’ Panambur police station sub inspector Pramod Kumar clarifying the plan of action, informed that the rescuers were still inside the ship. And hence the plans for undertaking further operations will be known later, he added.
Some technical sources are of the opinion that excess load of iron ore around 16,100 metric tons along with many gallons of water, which has seeped inside the ship while loading the said iron ore at New Mangalore port, should first be removed. And only after doing so should the rescue operations be undertaken, they added.
In view of the above conjecture, the rescuers have decided to reduce the weight of the ship in the first stage, informed the same sources.
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Mangalore: Foreign Team Begins Rescue Operations at Tannirbavi
By Melka Miyar & Nina Rai
Daijiworld Media Network
Mangalore, Sept 8: The rescue team which arrived from Singapore to save the tilted ship ‘Chang Le Men’, has started rescue operations here on Saturday, September 8 morning.
The rescue team named ‘Switzers’ arrived on Friday, September 7. The rescuers have already entered inside the tilted ship and began discussions with the crew members of the ship.
The rescue operations will be undertaken immediately once the detailed discussions with the crew members of the ‘Chang Le Men’ concludes, sources here informed.
As reported earlier, the ship had started tilting on Thursday, September 6 afternoon. As the day progressed, the ship has tilted to around 16 degree on its axis, so far. Owing to congenial weather conditions, the ship has not tilted beyond 16 degree, till this point in time.
Marine Experts from Holland Arrive in the City - Viisit Tannirbavi
Mangalore, Sep 7: A marine expert team from Holland has already come to the city to revive the sinking Chinese freighter Chang Le Men on Friday September 7 evening. The sources said that the team already visited the spot at Tannirbavi in order to take stock of the prevailing situation. The team is expected to stay overnight in the city before launching its operation on Saturday September 8 morning.
Mangalore: Rescue Team from Holland to Revive Sinking Chang Le Men
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (GA) - pics - Dayanand Kukkaje
Mangalore, Sep 7: Speaking at a press conference here on Friday September 7 afternoon at NMPT guest house at Tannirbavi, district-in-charge minister B Nagaraj Shetty said that an expert team 'Switzer' from Holland is likely to come to the city on September 7 evening to help Coast Guards and NMPT to revive the sinking Chinese ship Chang Le Men.
As reported earlier St Vincent island registered Chinese ship Chang Le Men is caught in the sea near Tannirbavi here from Thursday September 6 afternoon. After all efforts either to revive the ship or draw the ship to the deep failed, the Coast Guards and NMPT had almost given up rescue operations. Since the captain and the crew of the ship cannot abandon ship owing to technical problems, there is no way other than reviving the ship.
Though a fairly calm sea and good weather had been cooperative with the rescue team on Thursday, continuous rains coupled with heavy wind has caused panic both to those who are in the ship and who are out on the shore watching the rescue operation. Though a coast guard helicopter from Goa had arrived in the morning, owing to certain snags, it had to return.
It was later decided to ask the help of experts in this matter. Though the captain said that they are ready to unload the iron ore from the ship, NMPT does not have adequate facility to do so. Moreover owing to the technical problem, crew can come out of the ship only after September 15.
Nagaraj Shetty further said that though the ship had tilted about 12 degrees on its axis on Thursday, right now it is almost 16 degrees tilted. "But it is safe as long as it does not tilt 30 degrees on its axis," he added.
Meanwhile people are thronging in big numbers to the tragedy spot which incidentally has already engulfed 2 ships excluding Chang Le Men in the last 10 years. It was only a couple of months ago that Eritrean freighter DenDen had capsized on the same spot killing 3 persons.
Chang Le Men Rescue Operation - Helicopter Arrives from Goa
Inputs - Nina Rai - pics - Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (GA)
Mangalore, Sep 7: While efforts to revive Chang Le Men ship have gone in vain, helicopter from Goa arrived to help Coastal Guards to rescue the trapped crew members. The Goan helicopters have just reached the spot and are taking stock of things.
These columns have been reporting the incident live since Thursday September 6 afternoon. The Daiji team was there to get a first hand account of the sinking of the Chinese ship ‘Chang Le Men’ which when last seen was down to its last gasping breath. In fact it was just a few minutes away from getting completely submerged into the sea, as the water gushed inside the ship.
To give a brief recap, the Chinese boat "Chang Le Men' left the Mangalore port on the ill-fateful Thursday, of September 6, around 11 am completely stocked with iron ores. When sailing just a few kilometers away into the deep sea, it started tilting sideways as it probably could not bear the load of its merchandise and by 4 pm was almost tilting to about 30 degrees on its axis.
However, eyewitnesses standing at the Tannirbavi beach quoting official sources told Daijiworld very optimistically that this time around there was no possibility of the ship sinking (like the earlier DenDen ship which had sunk in the same waters) along with the 28 crew members and captain who were inside the ship, as there was the possibility of huge winds and turbulent waves pounding against the ship and setting its balance right. But unfortunately that did not happen at all.
As the people on the beach stood there watching in dismay along with the battery of reporters and cameramen, the ship started sinking slowly. Official sources also said that they had given up any hope of saving the ship. Even the Coast Guard and NMPT personnel lost hopes of saving the ship. Hence, their main priority now is to save the crew of the ship. Moreover reportedly it was known from official sources that the engine of the ship has been badly damaged.
In fact the last time when the ship was seen, the crew had switched on the generator which had lit up the entire ship in a brilliant glow of light, making the scene almost surreal against the deep blue sea against the backdrop of the dark cool, night horizon. Slowly even the generator was shut down plunging the ship in darkness and the only thing left to be done was for the crew to give up the ship and swim to safety.
But as reported earlier, as per the International Maritime rules, the captain and crew cannot abandon the vessel until such time that all hopes of reviving it are given up. The captain and the crew from Chang Le Men sent the same message to Coastal Guards when they were offered help. Latest reports reaching Daijiworld have informed that helicopters have been summoned from Goa to aide rescue operations.
That was the last vision reported of the ill-fated ship and its crew before the reporters left to trek back wearily to their destination, sad and dismayed at the remarkable co-incidence of two ships sinking on the same coast barely a few kilometers away from each other within a span of few days…..However on all lips there is a prayer and a hope that unlike last time this time around, there will be no casualty.
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Mangalore: Another Titanic at Tannirbavi - Chang Le Men Going DenDen Way
Spot report - Kiran D'Souza - pics - Dayanand Kukkaje
for Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (GA)
Mangalore, Sep 6: Despite great efforts by the NMP tugs along with Coastal Guards and local fishermen to keep the St Vincent Island registered Chinese ship Chang Le Men afloat the odds appear to be against the vessel. Almost 60 per cent of the ship is underwater right now and is almost going DenDen way as per the latest report.
However, NMPT officials have not yet given up efforts as some experts say that it is common for ship to tilt almost 30 degrees such condition. Marine engineers also expressed hopes that there are chances of reviving it but only if it could be towed to deeper waters. Since the engine of the boat is still chugging hopes of reviving the vessel too are surviving.
Meanwhile 28 crew members who are caught inside the ship along with the captain have already sent the message that they cannot leave the boat right now. They have been instructed by the owners not to abandon the ship till all hopes of reviving Chang Le Men are lost.
The district administration along with NMPT has made arrangments for vigil in the night. District SP Satheesh Kumar and several other top officials are on the spot.
It is as if all the roads are leading to Tannirbavi beach as people are throging to the spot in big numbers. As soon as the news spread in the city about another ship tragedy, people came out of their house and rushed to the spot though it was raining heavily.
As of now, nothing can be said about next few hours. Since it is already night, rescue team will have tough job at hand since they have to also cope up with rough weathers.
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