Cargo ship crashes into ferry terminal on Hooghly river in West Bengal

Kolkata: A 147-metre-long Singapore-flagged cargo ship lost control on the Hooghly River on Wednesday and crashed into the Noorpur ferry terminal in Diamond Harbour in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district.

The incident could have resulted in a major tragedy, but no launch or passenger boat was stationed at the terminal when the vessel struck the riverbank. No injuries have been reported.

The vessel, identified as MV Nawata Bhum, was carrying containers from Port Klang in Malaysia to Kolkata Port when it reportedly lost control while negotiating a bend near Diamond Harbour, around 50 kilometres south of Kolkata.

According to media reports, the ship was unable to regain stability after taking the turn, with a possible failure of its steering gear suspected of causing the accident.

The collision damaged the riverbank, leaving cracks along the bank at the Noorpur ferry terminal. The ship repeatedly sounded its horn after losing control, apparently warning people in the vicinity.

The officials reached the spot following the incident and inspected the damaged area. Further details on the cause of the accident are awaited.