A palm oil tanker was left dangerously tilted off the Odisha coast after its main engine failed and seawater rapidly flooded its ballast tanks, leaving the vessel dangerously tilted about 37 nautical miles east-southeast of Paradip, officials said on Monday.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully averted a major incident at sea by rescuing the distressed Belize-flagged MT Seagull 9, which was carrying around 9,000 tonnes of palm oil and 23 crew members.
Officials said the vessel raised a distress call on Sunday after seawater began entering its ballast tanks following the failure of its main engine. The flooding caused the tanker to develop a dangerous list, raising the risk of capsizing and a possible marine pollution incident given the nature of its cargo.
The Coast Guard responded by deploying ICGS Vishwast, whose specialised damage-control team boarded the unstable tanker and began emergency intervention. Using submersible de-flooding pumps and other damage-control equipment, the team arrested the flooding, blanked two damaged seawater pipelines and contained a third fractured line.
Subsequently, a pollution control vessel and another offshore patrol vessel were deployed to strengthen pollution-response capability and maintain round-the-clock surveillance around the tanker. Coast Guard Dornier aircraft operating from Bhubaneswar also conducted aerial surveillance of the vessel and surrounding waters.
“A minor palm-oil sheen spotted near the vessel on Sunday was found to have dissipated during follow-up aerial surveillance on Monday. Pollution-response measures, however, remain in place as a precaution,” said a Coast Guard spokesperson.
The emergency response also involved simultaneous de-flooding and cargo-transfer operations, with the Coast Guard team working alongside the tanker’s crew to restore the vessel’s stability. Paradip Port Authority (PPA) tug Dolphin took MT Seagull 9 under tow towards the anchorage off Paradip after the immediate danger of capsizing was contained.
“Repairs to the vessel’s main engine are now under way with technical assistance from the Coast Guard. ICGS Vishwast and the other deployed assets continue to maintain a watch over the tanker and are providing operational support,” the spokesperson added.
The incident came at a time when the waters around Paradip have witnessed a series of maritime emergencies involving commercial and fishing vessels. Last month, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier, MV Ocean Winner, sank in the Bay of Bengal on August 22, shortly after sailing from Paradip with about 71,000 tonnes of iron-ore fines.
The 24-member crew included 20 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar and one from Bangladesh. Two Chinese seafarers were rescued from liferafts, while 22 others remained missing in the aftermath of the sinking.
The frequency of more recent incidents has also brought attention to navigational and anchorage-related risks around Paradip. Earlier this month, MV MSC Makoto II lost its port-side anchor while heaving it up at the outer port limits, shortly before pilot boarding for its movement to PICT-1 berth.
The Marine Department of PPA and the Mercantile Marine Department sought technical and statutory clearances before allowing further movement of the vessel.
That incident followed the case of Vietnam-owned MV Tan Binh 259, which had remained at anchorage since July 22 after losing its anchor and chain. Carrying 25,391 tonnes of stainless-steel coils, the vessel was subsequently permitted to enter Paradip and unload its cargo after intervention by the Orissa High Court and submission of an e-bank guarantee of ₹6.28 crore towards the loss and other applicable charges.
In June, the Coast Guard evacuated a critically ill mariner from a Liberia-flagged container vessel about 15 nautical miles off Paradip after the ship’s master sought urgent medical assistance. An interceptor boat was deployed despite rough sea conditions and the sailor was safely brought ashore.
Paradip handled a record 156.45 million tonnes of cargo in 2025-26, retaining its position as one of India’s largest major ports by cargo volume. It had achieved the highest cargo throughput among all major ports in the country, handling a total of 150.41 million tonnes in 2024-25.
