STATEMENT 3 MSC CHITRA struck by KHALIJIA 3

STATEMENT 3
MSC CHITRA struck by KHALIJIA 3
Further to our statement of 25 th August 2010, this Statement concerns the progress of the
salvage operations for the vessel and containers, and other matters affecting the casualty.
MSC is the unfortunate victim in this very serious collision which has had severe
consequences for our clients, for all concerned for the port of Mumbai and its surrounds and
for MSC. MSC continues to take all steps necessary to remediate the consequences of the
KHALIJIA 3’s actions, and to bring the situation in Mumbai back to normal as quickly as is
practical. MSC is committed to doing business in India and has already expended tens of
millions of US dollars on this operation. The circumstances continue to be difficult.
Containers
MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING COMPANY
All containers that had remained on the deck of the MSC Chitra after the casualty have now
been recovered by salvors. In addition, salvors have removed the hatch covers and
recovered some containers at the top of the holds. A total of 314 containers have been
recovered by salvors from the vessel. Of those 280 have been landed and remainder await
customs permission to be landed.
Severe delays have been experienced landing the recovered containers ashore. This is due to
a combination of customs delays, port congestion, and commercial issues arising because the
damaged containers cannot be handled normally and each container requires significant
berth time and space (sometimes up to 12 hours each). MSC has searched for and found
some disused berths in the port area and has obtained permission to reactivate these to land
damaged containers. This work has commenced but, in the meantime, the damaged
containers are stored on barges.
Conditions on the vessel continue to be very difficult, with a continuous evolution of high
levels of toxic gas from cargo and now also hydrogen sulphide from deteriorating cargo.
The gases have severely restricted container recovery, sometimes to as little as 1 or 2
containers per day. This is because now the monsoon has passed there was often no wind to
clear the gases and the crane barge had to be pulled away from the casualty when the gas
levels were unsafe for personnel. MSC also employed a leading gas expert on the problem.
All of the containers now remaining on board (believed to be 596) are, or have been, fully
submerged. Many have been damaged by monsoon seas and others are deformed by the
expansion of wetted cargo from inside, making lifting them out in one piece extremely
difficult and sometimes impossible.
Consequently, to have the best opportunity of recovering salvageable cargo the decision has
been taken to raise the vessel with the remaining containers and cargo on board, during
which operation the holds will be pumped out. With dry holds and drained containers a
much better success rate is hoped for to bring the remaining containers and cargo out in one
piece; if the container has not been damaged. Container and recovery operations have now
ceased until the vessel has been raised.

Cargo Inspection and Salvage Security: for cargo interests’ advice
Cargo inspection: The list of containers salvaged and available for survey will be published
and updated regularly on our surveyors’ web site, and we invite cargo interest to check the
web site on a daily basis.
The web site address is:
ftp://www.andrew-moore.com/
or
http://www.andrew-moore.com/msc
Login: MSC
Pass Word: containers
After your container is shown on the web site as available for inspection, we invite cargo
interests’ surveyor to contact our surveyor Capt. Sanjay Sanadi by e-mail at:
MSCContainers@andrew-moore.com
as soon as possible to arrange a joint survey. (Alternatively, telephone: +91 22 65103814).
You should provide your surveyor and our surveyor with a copy of the commercial invoice
and the packing list for the container, which must be provided to our surveyor not later than
at the time of inspection, or the inspection of your container may be delayed.
Salvage Security: Under the terms of the Lloyds Open Form contract for the salvage
operation, MSC is not permitted to be release a container until salvors’ requested guarantee
for that container has been provided to salvors average adjusters Richards Hogg Lindley
(RHL). For any information in respect of salvage security for release of cargo, contact:
Richards Hogg Lindley, Liverpool.
Tel: 0151 227 2175 Fax: 0151 227 2179/0151 231 1492
Website - www.rhlg.com
Contacts:
Alex Pinto (Director): e-mail - alex.pinto@charlestayloradj.com Mobile: +6596754976
Helen Cher: e-mail - helen.cher@charlestayloradj.com Mobile: +6596816019
RHL has set up a website for this case at www.rhlg.com/clients with the password
MCHITRA10.
Security requirements will be posted on the web site once these are known, and there will be
a daily updated list of secured cargo which has been released by salvors. MSC is in
discussion with salvors about the provision of salvage security and there may be some
further news on this soon.
Pollution
There has inevitably been some minor pollution during salvage operations. Full antipollution
equipment is on site to deal with this problem and this has been successfully
deployed to the satisfaction of the authorities. Bunkers on board the vessel have been
pumped out so far as possible. The pollution cleanup ashore by MSC has been very
successful and the authorities have confirmed they are pleased with the results.
Navigation
The entire area from the casualty into the port has been surveyed by sonar. Navigation in
and out of Mumbai for international shipping and ferries has been cleared. Some 779 sonar
targets found have been checked, but only 42 were containers. Not all of the containers lost

overboard during the early days of the casualty have been found. The missing containers
may be close to the casualty, which area is still being surveyed, or may have settled deep into
the mud on the sea bed.
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA
16 th November 2010