Mumbai oil spill: Anti-pollution operations continue

MUMBAI: The Navy and the Coast Guard carried out anti-pollution operations for the third consecutive day today to check and neutralise the oil spill caused due to a collision between two cargo ships off the Mumbai coast.

A high-level meeting, to be attended by the officials of the Maharashtra government Environment Department, National Disaster Response Force, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Shipping department, Mumbai Port Trust and other concerned agencies will be held to assess the situation and steps to be taken to bring it under control, sources said.

Six coastguard vessels and a helicopter with anti-pollution dispersal spray systems were pressed into service yesterday to contain the oil spill.

Two Panamanian cargo ships — MSC Chitra and MV Khalijia-111 — collided on Saturday off the Mumbai coast causing an oil spill from one of the vessels.

Thirty three crew members, including two Pakistanis, were rescued following the incident.