Coast Guard continues efforts to remove fuel from sunken ship

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is maintaining constant liaison with the Director General of Shipping for early employment of a salvour by the owner or Protection and Indemnity clubs, for early removal of 220 tonnes of fuel from the grounded MV Princess Miral off the coast here, Karnataka Coast Guard commander DIG S B Venkatesh said.

The Coast Guard ships and aircraft have been monitoring the vessel for any possible oil spill since it ran aground on June 21. All other agencies are kept at short notice to respond to any emergent situation, a release here said.

As the vessel ran aground very close to the coast, the Coast Guard has been assisting state authorities to prepare for shoreline clean-up by conducting training sessions for potential participants. Mock drills were conducted on Panambur, Tannirbhavi and Ullal beaches in the last three days. An inter-tidal boom has also been laid on the Nethravati river mouth as a precautionary measure to prevent oil spill. Fishermen in the area have been warned against venturing into the sea near the sunken vessel.