Explained: What impact does an attack on a cargo ship have on the country

It has been just a few days since the fire broke out on board the commercial cargo ship MV Chem Pluto in the Indian Ocean. However, the incident became an international issue when it was revealed that it was not an accident but an alleged drone attack by Iran. What effect can such incidents have on other activities including business, know in this special report.

Kutch (Gujarat): Commercial cargo ship MV Chem Pluto recently caught fire in the Indian Ocean. However, there was a panic over reports that the fire on the ship was reportedly caused by an Iranian drone strike. There have also been incidents of attacks on ships by pirates and terrorist groups in the Mediterranean Sea in the past. Such incidents can have an adverse impact on other activities including business.

Ports operating in Indian waters handle a large number of vessels and handle millions of tonnes of cargo every day. If the number of attacks on cargo ships increases, import-export activities through the port may also be adversely affected. Other activities may also be impacted. Attacks on ships can affect port operations.

Attacks on ships can affect the movement of cargo ships at ports and trade worth crores of rupees. Public Relations Officer of Mundra Adani Port Jaideep Shah said at present the number of attacks on ships at Adani Port located in Mundra, Kutch is less. "Therefore, regular circulation continues and approximately 30 to 38 vessel movements occur per day. If the number of attacks on ships increases in future, the country's import-export activities may be affected. Additionally, the annual movement of 157 million metric tons of goods and trade worth crores may also be affected," he added.

On December 19, commercial cargo ship MV Chem Pluto departed from Saudi Arabia for India, it was to reach Mangaluru on December 25. Then on December 23, the Indian Coast Guard's Mumbai rescue team received information about the ship's accident. Due to this, a rescue operation was conducted in the ship by the team of Indian Coast Guard.

However, according to reports, the fire aboard MV Pluto commercial cargo ship was a result of an Iranian drone attack. The commercial cargo was carrying 20 Indian and 1 Vietnamese crew. The Indian Coast Guard Maritime Coordination Center (MRCC) contacted the agent of the cargo ship and confirmed that there was no loss of cargo. The fire on board the ship was extinguished by the crew.