Ships collide, oil spills

| 23 March 2005 17:52 IST

Goa is once again hit with an oil spill as two ships collided off Aguada coast at early morning today.

The Coast Guard authorities however succeeded in stopping the spill within three hours. At least 100 metric tonnes of heavy fuel oil has spread in the sea.

It has not caused any major environmental hazard, claims Dr U L Joshi, chairman of the Goa Pollution Control Board. The Coast Guard however is assessing the damage.

Prapti, a barge carrying iron ore, collided with a ship, Maritime Wisdom, which is used to load the iron ore in the sea itself, at around 1 am today morning.

The oil started spilling out from the Maritime Wisdom as the ship developed a big hole due to collision, which occurred around 3.7 nautical miles away from the Aguada coast, near the Calangute beach.

The spot near the North Goa coast is far away from the Mormugao port, situated in the Vasco city in South Goa.

While the oil started spreading in the sea, the Coast Guard authorities succeeded in stopping the spillage by 4 am.

The helicopters of the Coast Guard, along with the interceptor, are presently assessing the damage, stated Dr Joshi.

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