A catastrophe was averted at India’s Paradip Port on Saturday night after smoke was seen on a bulk carrier about to leave for Krishnapatnam Port in Andhra Pradesh.

It was due to coal on the vessel, which was then shifted to another berth for safety reasons.

The smoke alarmed the crew and port officials, leading to a disruption in operations, which resumed on Sunday.

MV Eco Colonel Monrovia had arrived at the Iron Ore Berth to load 30,000 metric tonnes of coal.

After the cargo was loaded, dock workers saw thick smoke coming from stacker-1, which led to panic among everyone present.

The control room was informed, and it took immediate action to prevent a potential fire.

The authorities shifted the vessel to the coal berth as the smoke intensified.

The firefighting team worked swiftly to unload the affected coal. Once unloaded, the ship was moved to another berth for inspection.

Some machinery and the boom conveyor sustained damage because of the ash which had accumulated. Stacker-1 was burnt in the incident.

Though the cause of the fire is yet to be determined, a port worker said that during hot weather, water is sprayed on coal to prevent fire.

However, as it was winter, water was not sprayed, which may have caused the smoke. Others said that repair work might be the cause.

Fortunately, nobody was injured during the incident.

A senior port official said that the firefighting team controlled the smoke.

He added that coal can experience heating due to trapped moisture, improper ventilation or self-oxidation within cargo holds or stockpiles.