John Wilbert
Port Blair, June 12: The berthing of MV Campbell Bay was delayed by nearly six hours today, causing great inconvenience to passengers, particularly children and the elderly.
According to sources, the delay in berthing the MV Campbell Bay was attributed to engine problems and heavy winds. Passengers were forced to wait for more than six hours, experiencing a delay in disembarkation. The ship arrived at Campbell port in the early morning, originally scheduled to dock at 8:00 AM. However, due to high winds, the Port Authority decided to hold the ship near the islands until the conditions improved. Ultimately, considering the safety of the passengers amidst inclement weather, the captain and crew members of the ship made the decision to keep the ship in anchorage.
As per sources when MV Campbell Bay had departed from Port Blair with 150 passengers. During the journey, one of the ship’s engines experienced a breakdown, and with the assistance of the remaining engine, the ship managed to reach Campbell Bay. However, berthing proved to be challenging. In response to the situation, at around 9:30 AM, the Speed Boat MV Rani Changa was dispatched to assist with passenger disembarkation, in coordination with the Campbell Bay Police. Unfortunately, due to rough sea conditions, the speed boat was unable to maintain stability and collided with MV Campbell Bay. As a precautionary measure, the speed boat was recalled. Eventually, in the afternoon at around 3:30 PM, the ship successfully docked.
A senior officer from the Directorate of Shipping Services explained that the delay in permission from the Port Authority was based on passenger safety due to rough sea conditions. This led to the subsequent delay in sailing.
Passengers on board the MV Campbell Bay endured a lengthy wait before being able to disembark, causing inconvenience and frustration but as they issue was with passenger’s safety the call of Port Authorities was honoured by everyone.
