Tugboat tragedy: Ship was unfit to sail, crew couldn’t swim, says chief engineer

An Indian Navy team carry out search and rescue op on Monday

The firm, which owned the now-sunken Varaprada, on Tuesday refuted the tugboat's chief engineer's allegations that the poor state of the safety equipment led to its sinking. Varaprada submerged in the Arabian Sea on May 17 and 11 of its 13 crew members died. Its Chief Engineer Francis Simon and another crew member are the only survivors.

The 13 crew members of Varaprada

Glory Ship Management Pvt Ltd's Managing Director Rajesh Kumar Shahi held a press conference on Tuesday and claimed that Varaprada's safety was up to the mark and all life-saving equipment was present on the boat. Shahi said he had informed the captain about the situation, but he was very confident about everyone's safety and remained inside the danger zone.

Also Read: Mumbai: Sunken tugboat Varaprada located, search on for victims

Speaking to mid-day, Chief Engineer Francis Simon said the horror of May 17 could have been avoided if all necessary life-saving equipment were available on board. "The life raft was punctured, the maintenance of the tug boat was very poor, the tugboat was unfit to sail. It sank right in front of my eyes and the crew members died screaming for help. It was a miracle that we survived, as a navy ship was passing by to rescue those onboard barge P305."

He alleged that the crew members didn't know how to swim. "Swimming is mandatory and part of the training to save lives if faced with such a situation." When asked why he never complained about it earlier, Simon said "it is the captain's responsibility to inform the concerned authorities, but the bigger question is how the ship was allowed to sail." Shahi, however, said, "A ship gets a sailing permit only after all necessary certification. And we had all safety audits from DG Shipping, ONGC and Shiv Safety and Security Audit." He claimed that they had informed all concerned authorities after losing contact with the ship.

Glory Ship Management Pvt Ltd's Managing Director Rajesh Kumar Shahi

"We had given all necessary information to the captain, in fact I spoke to everyone around 11.30-12.30 pm on May 16, and everyone was very happy as they were coming back home after five months. They were also asked to come to the safe place and the captain was very confident that the cyclone will not harm anyone," Shahi added. "As far as the safety equipment are concerned, he [Simon] saved himself using the life raft," he said. He also refuted Simon's claim that the engine was in poor working condition.

According to the company, the ship was 20 nautical miles inside the sea and needed three hours to come to the shore. "They were confident that the cyclone would pass without causing any problems but it became severe. Our assessment is that the moment the crew started moving towards Mumbai, they came in contact with the severe cyclone," Shahi said.