Cargo ship with 15 crew members run aground off Kolaba Fort in Raigad

The officials said all the crew members are safe and they have alerted the Raigad district administration to provide assistance in rescue operations. The shores of Kolaba Fort are rocky and Coast Guard officials said their vessels can’t reach the spot right now, however, they said, the officials are monitoring the situation

Mumbai: Severe weather conditions have caused a cargo ship - JSW Raigad - to run aground off Kolaba Fort in Raigad district on Thursday. The fort is an old fortified maritime base located in Alibag.

Cargo ship with 15 crew members run aground off Kolaba Fort in Raigad

The Coast Guard officials said they received a distress call on Thursday about a vessel with 15 crew members onboard getting stranded in the rocks amidst stormy weather. The ship is 121 metres long and was made in 2017.

The officials said all the crew members are safe and they have alerted the Raigad district administration to provide assistance in rescue operations. The shores of Kolaba Fort are rocky and Coast Guard officials said their vessels can’t reach the spot right now, however, they said, the officials are monitoring the situation.

Speaking to HT about the gravity of the situation, Raigad collector Kishan Jawale said, “The vessel is two nautical miles away from the shore and we can’t reach the vessel amid the severe weather. The JSW which owns the vessel has also been informed. There are 15 crew members on the vessel and they will be rescued soon.’’

A spokesperson of JSW said, “The carrier operated by JSW drifted due to strong winds and low visibility. Rescue operations are on. There are no casualties. All members are safe onboard and they are likely to be evacuated by night. The vessel is safe and stable.’’