Indian Coast Guard Stabilizes Flooding Tanker Sea Gull 9

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) carried out damage-control work aboard the product tanker Sea Gull 9 after rapid flooding affected one of the vessel’s ballast tanks. The operation stabilized the ship sufficiently for it to be towed to Paradip for repairs.

The incident occurred while Sea Gull 9 was sailing from Malaysia to Paradip Port carrying approximately 9,000 metric tonnes of palm oil. At around 7:30 a.m. local time on September 27, the Indian Coast Guard received a distress call from the tanker, which was approximately 37 nautical miles from Paradip at the time.

The offshore patrol vessel ICGS Vishwast was immediately deployed to assist and subsequently reached the scene. According to reports, Sea Gull 9 had experienced a failure of its main engine before one of its ballast tanks began flooding rapidly.

A specialist ICG damage-control team boarded the tanker and used dewatering pumps to remove water from the affected ballast tanks. They also sealed two damaged seawater pipelines and brought a third fractured line under control. These measures stabilized Sea Gull 9 enough for the vessel to be safely towed toward port for further assessment and repairs.

The tug Dolphin, which was sent to the scene by Paradip Port authorities, then took the tanker under tow and brought it to a secure anchorage off Paradip.

An Indian Coast Guard aircraft also conducted an aerial survey of the surrounding area and detected an oil-like sheen trailing behind the vessel which was believed to have resulted from a palm-oil leak. This had dissipated by September 28.