An MSC boxship continues to list after being heavily damaged in a collision with a bulk carrier off Mumbai on Saturday.



Some fuel oil has leaked from the 2,314-teu MSC Chitra (built 1980) after it was struck on its port side by the 41,800-dwt Khalijia 3 (built 1983).



The incident saw a number of boxes lost overboard the containership while the port of Mumbai was closed but may be re-opened on Monday.

The boxship is currently listing at over 36 degrees to port, a spokesperson for its Hong Kong-based manager MSC Ship Management told TradeWinds on Monday.



The Panama-flagged vessel went over withing five minutes of the collision with the bulker leaving the manager to assume the hull breach is extensive.



The vessel has now stabilised and the list has not increased in the last two high and low tides. However, a sheen developed on the water soon after the incident as the ship was hit near the number 2 and 3 cargo holds, close to bunker tanks.



The St Kitts & Nevis-flagged bulker also has extensive damage to its bow but is currently alongside in Mumbai port discharging its cargo of steel coils.



A person speaking on behalf of Vinod Dhanker, managing director of the Khalijia 3’s Mumbai-based shipmanager Quadrant Maritime, said there has been no pollution and the cargo is undamaged.



There were no casualties as a result of the smash which occurred at around 09:30 local time on Saturday. The MSC Chitra has a crew of 30, majority Indians, with seven other family members onboard. The bulker’s crew of 23 or 24 comprises mostly Indians with one each from Sri Lanka, Ukraine and Bangladesh.



The Khalijia 3 was in Mumbai anchorage and was just moving towards a pick-up point for a pilot to enter the port when the collision occurred. It had loaded its cargo in China. The MSC Chitra is also believed to have been inbound to Mumbai.