Bengal: Container ship hits Hooghly riverbank near Diamond Harbour

Kolkata

Massive turbulence in the River Hooghly and a possible steering gear problem led a container ship to smash into the riverbank at Diamond Harbour in West Bengal on Wednesday.

Nobody was injured, but locals were tense as the impact site was close to a ferry ghat. The accident also damaged the embankment. The MV Nawata Bhum, sailing under the flag of Singapore, was on its way with containers to the Port of Kolkata from Port Klang, Malaysia. Officials said the 147.82‑metre‑long ship, with a deadweight tonnage of 13,852 tonnes, failed to recover from its turn at the bend in the river at Diamond Harbour, about 50 km south of Kolkata, and smashed into the riverbank.

“It hit the riverbank close to the Nurpur ferry ghat. After realising that the steering was jammed, the ship’s master alerted people on the bank by constantly blowing its horn. Fortunately, there were no ferries nearby, or they might have been crushed,” an official said. The River Hooghly is known for its sharp bends and bars. Ships entering from the sea have to follow the navigation channel carefully to avoid getting stuck. “The steering gear sometimes gets stuck, particularly when a ship is attempting to recover from a turn. This normally happens in single‑screw vessels. In this case, the strong current may also have played a part,” the official added. The pilot on the ship contacted the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority (SMPA) immediately after the collision.

SMPA pilots board all ships sailing along the river to guide them safely through the navigation channel. Sources said tugs have been dispatched to the location and will wait for the next high tide to pull out the container ship. The vessel’s hull is undamaged, and it can safely sail to Kolkata with tug assistance. Similar accidents have occurred in the past near Geonkhali in East Midnapore district.