Coast Guard to pull out grounded ship

Efforts to pull out LPG-ladden ship, which was grounded at Ratnagiri harbour, will begin this morning, the Coast Guard said.

"The operation to pull it out will start in the morning and all arrangements are in place to aid the operation. Three tugs requisitioned from Mumbai have arrived and they along with two local tugs would pull out the ship," commander RK Sharma, deputy inspector-general, Indian Coast Guard (ICG), said.

The vessel carries 8,000 metric tonnes of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) and is carrying a Norweigan flag. ICG along with Ratnagiri port authorities and Directorate of Shipping is constantly monitoring the vessel, Sharma added.

Meanwhile, reports from Ratnagiri said the ship owned by a company called Atlantics Shipping Corporation has been hired by oil PSU Bharat Petroleum which has a contract of supplying gas to Finolex Industries.