Two bulk carriers collide off Kandla; Indian Coast Guard rescues 21 crew members

At least 21 of the 24 crew members aboard the bulk carrier KMAX Emperor (IMO: 9477426) were evacuated by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Friday after it collided with another ship off the coast of Gujarat’s Kandla.

The other ship it collided with, off the Outer Tuna Buoy (OTB) in Kandla, the primary outer anchorage at the Deendayal Port, was also a bulk carrier, identified as the Barbados-flagged True Mariner (IMO: 9599822). The remaining three crew members of the KMAX Emperor stayed aboard the Liberian-flagged ship to support ongoing operations by the ICG.

Following the collision, the KMAX Emperor began to sink, dragging the other bulker along with it. The crew of the True Mariner managed to release their anchor and move away from the scene to safety, and also assisted the ICG in rescuing seven crew members from the other vessel.

The Coast Guard said it has activated comprehensive pollution response measures and is closely coordinating with the Directorate General of Shipping, central agencies and the state administration as part of the response, adding that it remains fully alert and committed to ensuring maritime safety and preserving Gujarat’s coastal ecosystem.

This is the second major maritime disaster in Indian waters this year, following the bulk carrier Ocean Winner (IMO: 9145530), which lost contact and sank off India’s eastern coast on August 21 after departing Odisha’s Paradip Port a day earlier. The Panama-flagged ship had been carrying 24 crew members, of whom 20 were Chinese, three were from Myanmar and one was from Bangladesh. Despite concerted efforts, only two of the 24 crew members aboard that ship could be rescued, after which the ICG confirmed the vessel had sunk in the Bay of Bengal.