Coal cargo ship grounded near Karachi coast

KARACHI: A vessel carrying coal cargo has grounded near Mubarak Village at Karachi’s coast, quoting local fishermen ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Big waves in the sea steered the coal cargo ship from its route towards the beach this morning, which grounded at the rocky surface of the beach near Mubarak Village, local fishermen said.

It is unlikely to guide the ship out due to high waves and rough weather according to sources.

The coal cargo of the ship belongs to a power company based in Balochistan, sources said.

Local residents have expressed apprehensions about spread of pollution after grounding of the coal ship near Mubarak Village.

“The coastline will pollute again as happened after October 2018 oil spill”, local councilor Sarfaraz Haroon said. “Those responsible for the oil spill yet to be traced,” Haroon said.

The oil spill had affected livelihood of local fishermen while the government yet to compensate the losses, a local fisherman said.

The pollution from the coal ship will also affect the marine life, residents said.

The oil spill had damaged about one mile of the coastline near the port city of Karachi.

Traces of oil were found across an 8-kilometer (5-mile) stretch.

Local people suspected the oil might be leaked from an underwater pipeline at a nearby refinery but the refinery denied it was the source of the spill. It however suspended operations after been ordered to do so by local authorities.