The initial investigation report released on Monday held the captain of Hapeg-Lloyd’s 8,000-TEU Tolte ship responsible for its collision with 6,350-TEU Hamburg Bay that occurred at the South Asia Port Terminal Limited (SAPT) on March 19 in Karachi, a private media outlet reported.
TEU Tolten was carrying transit-containers collided with TEU Hamburg after which as many as 21 containers fell into the sea. The sunken containers were carrying imported cars and freight worth millions of rupees. The investigation report also refers to a recording done just before the accident which suggests that the captain did not issue any directives to prevent the collision.
“The captain’s delayed response was the reason behind the incident,” the report said. The report further stated that the accident could have been averted if the Karachi Port had more powerful tugs. “The Karachi Port should have three tugs, not two,” it said.
It also said that the ship’s reverse gear failed to function at the time of the collision, adding that the ship should have been stopped within two minutes but it kept running till two minutes forty seconds.
It said that the accident happened because of the captain’s inability to halt the speed of the ship.
NA BODY ORDERS INQUIRY:
National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs also ordered a detailed inquiry into the recent incident of slight jolting of one ship by another while berthing at a private terminal at Karachi Port and strict legal action against those responsible.
Presided over by its Chairman Ghulam Mustafa Shah, the NA Committee in its meeting here at the Head Office of the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) also directed for the removal of encroachment on the KPT land and also Rangers help be sought, if needed, to save this valuable land of the national organisation, said an official statement.
The NA members also ordered to make a detailed briefing on the land dispute between the Sindh government and KPT, which they said should be resolved.