Caught between raging fire amp; the deep sea

August 19: The twenty-five-member crew of a ship anchored off the Mumbai Harbour has fought fire and fate for three months now. But it ma...

August 19: The twenty-five-member crew of a ship anchored off the Mumbai Harbour has fought fire and fate for three months now. But it may not be possible for them to keep the ship and their spirits afloat for too long.

This is the story of M V Jaipur, which set sail from Rangoon for Mumbai on April 13, loaded with around 14,000 tonnes of pulses. Before the ship left the port, there was a minor mishap 8211; a small fire was noticed in its hatch. Since the fire could have spread, a full-fledged operation was launched by the port authorities and the fire was quickly brought under control. The ship left the port the same day, a few hours behind schedule.

Deep into the sea, hundreds of kilometres away from Rangoon, as the crew was settling into the routine, one of them noticed a trail of smoke. It was coming out of the hatch, a little distance away from the spot where the fire had been extinguished a few hours earlier. Chief Officer Bennet D O, an experienced sailor, quickly realised that the fire would be toughto put out for it was simmering under the sacks of pulses. There were only two options. One 8211; unload the entire cargo. But for that they needed to touch a port first. Second 8211; abandon the ship. This they could not, because it would have meant foregoing their salaries accumulated for last eleven months.

To continue sailing towards Mumbai was a collective decision, though it was fraught with dangers. The crew took turns in fighting fire and checking the condition of the hull till they reached Mumbai on April 27.

The ship was first taken to Mumbai Docks hoping that they would be allowed to unload. The port authorities, however, refused them permission citing damaged consignment as the reason. And their woes did not end there. The consignee had by that time learnt that the consignment was damaged and moved a court. The ship was arrested.

The fire onboard the vessel came to light when some crew members brought the matter to the notice of an International Transport Workers8217; Federation ITF representativethis morning. 8220;The ship can sink any moment with the crew and the cargo if the fire is not extinguished immediately,8221; said ITF inspector Maruti Rethrekar. 8220;This could also endanger the navigational channel in the harbour,8221; he pointed out.

Though the 23-year-old Singapore flagged vessel looks fine from a distance. A closer looks reveals the damage wraught the the fire. Smoke was still emanating from the hatch when this reporter visited the ship. The stink of burning cargo was nauseating. 8220;We have sent several telex messages for help to the Singapore-based owner, Prince Maritime Pte Ltd, but they have ignored the calls,8221; said an officer requesting anonymity. The vessel8217;s second officer George Annan said the crew has been left with little choice but to keep the ship afloat. 8220;If the ship sinks so will our salary dues. Our lives are also in danger8230;just imagine if the ship starts sinking in the night,8221; he added. ITF inspector Rethrekar said the crew was desisting from approaching the port authorities inMumbai because they fear by doing so they would incur the wrath of the owner.

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So, caught between smouldering fire and deep sea the crew continues its struggle for survival.