Crew abandons arrested Korean vessel

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The 14-member crew of detained South Korean cargo vessel OSM Arena abandoned the ship on Tuesday after the ship ran out of food, fuel and water supplies.

Chennai Port chairman Atulya Mishra said that the entire crew has abandoned the ship, which is under the Chennai Port’s jurisdiction, at around 5.30pm.

Mishra said since the ship was abandoned a complaint has been filed against the crew. He said the police and immigration officials would be taking action against the crew.

He also said that a separate three-member crew has been asked to go back to the ship as guards, which is being monitored by the Coastguard and Indian Navy.

Mishra said the tugs are kept in preparedness in case of any eventuality.

International Transport Workers' Federation inspector K Sreekumar said that ITF is helping the crew to overcome the difficulties they are going through. “Initially a three-member crew boarded a fishing boat and reached the shore at 9am. They waited for me and then we took them to the court,” he said. In the evening, the rest of the crew abandoned the ship. They are now being kept at the Seafarers Club.

OSM Arena entered Chennai on January 2010. On February 2010, Kolkata High court directed the Custom authorities to ensure that the vessel does not leave the Port of Chennai without its permission following a commercial dispute. It is believed that the South Korean ship-owner is implicated in numerous commercial legal disputes concerning bills of lading and unpaid debts.

The vessel ran out of all supplies long time ago. In December 2010, the Chennai port administration ordered the vessel to anchor off the coast of the port; the cost of berthing has not been paid. It was on July 2011, the crewmembers of the OSM Arena were replaced, as most of the members health deteriorated due to malnutrition and dehydration.

During Cyclone Thane, the ship with 14 Myanmar crew members on board drifted towards the Chennai coast as its anchor winch broke down during gale winds following cyclone Thane on Dec 30, 2011. The Chennai Port Trust sent its engineers to repair the winch and sent two tugs to tow the ship to high seas.

The crew were assisted periodically by local unions who supplied them with water and food. The vessel was put under arrest on September, 2012 and docked in Chennai as a precaution against possible disaster in view of stormy weather.  

Sreekumar said a clearer picture on the fate of OSM Arena is likely to emerge only after May 7 when Madras High Court takes up the case