C Shivakumar
Chennai:
After stranded and detained in Chennai for three long years, South Korean vessel OSM Arena is likely to be towed away to scrapyard either in Alang, Chittagong or Mumbai in the next 10 to 15 days.
Port officials said that the ship, which entered Chennai on January 2010, is expected to be taken to one of these three scrapyards once the out of court settlement takes place.
Chief executive officer of ABH Marine Services, a Chennai-based ship management company under Steamer Ship Agent A Ravichandran said that they received the authorization letter from Kolkata based LMJ International to supply the manpower for only 10 days. The additional crew would be sent in only after getting the clearance from mercantile marine department (MMD).
It is likely that the ship will have nearly half the size of the crew, which it had earlier. Port sources said that it is likely that the crew size would not be more than five or six.
Ravichandran told Express that they have been been authorized to provide supplies and manpower for 10 days. The supplies include 20 tonnes of diesel, 100 tonnes of fresh water and 10 days of food. Currently, the ship has two crew, who are manning the vessel.
Meanwhile, International Transport Workers' Federation inspector K Sreekumar said that the 14 Mayanmar sailors who abandoned the vessel could only sign off after the fresh crew goes onboard. He said the embassy officials were in Chennai and had been trying to contact ITF over signing off the seafarers. The shore pass of the sailors is valid till Saturday and Sreekumar says it will be extended further
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