Mumbai,  March 23: A Coast Guard ship was heavily damaged and ultimately sank on Tuesday evening after being hit by a merchant vessel off the coast of Mumbai.

“MV Global Purity, a merchant navy vessel, collided with a stationary Indian Coast Guard ship, the ICGS Vivek,” said Mr M. Kohe, deputy commissioner of police, port zone. The incident occurred at 4.23 pm Tuesday.
The collision between the two vessels was such that 59 people who were on board fell overboard. Fortunately, all of them managed to swim to safety.
“The ICGS Vivek, an offshore patrol vessel, was undergoing repairs and refitting. The work had been assigned to Krasny Marine Services, Mumbai,” said Captain Manohar Nambiar, chief PRO, defence, Mumbai.
The merchant vessel collided with the coast guard ship three times in all, which resulted in the ship being severely damaged with heavy flooding of seawater into the ship. “Despite all the efforts put in by the ship’s crew, the Coast Guard and the Indian Navy, the ICGS Vivek sank next to the jetty in a very short time. Fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries. We are trying to salvage the ship at the earliest,” added Capt. Nambiar.
The officers at Yellow Gate have filed a police complaint against the owners of MV Global Purity. The ICGS Vivek was commissioned into the Coast Guard on August 19, 1989.

Age Correspondent