Working Conditions Aboard the Hyderabad

On April 12, 2026, a fire ignited on the MV Hyderabad while it was engaged in unloading operations at Chittagong's outer anchorage, located at coordinates 22° 16' E 091° 45'. The incident occurred around 3:45 p.m. as two teams of dockworkers were busy transferring bagged cargo into lighter barges. Smoke was first noticed in the forward mid-section of the cargo hold, close to the access ladder. Initial attempts by dockworkers to combat the fire were unsuccessful. However, the crew of the vessel responded swiftly, employing portable dry chemical extinguishers, fire blankets, and water to extinguish the flames. Following the successful suppression of the fire, cargo operations from the affected hold were halted. By approximately 5:15 p.m., operations resumed as the fire had been contained. The vessel continues to remain stationed at Chittagong anchorage while authorities assess the impact on the cargo.

On January 6, 2018, at approximately 12:30 p.m., the Thai Navy's patrol boat 995 successfully located and recovered the remains of four crew members who had gone missing from the fishing vessel 'Choke Chuchai.' The unfortunate incident occurred off the Sattahib coast in Chon Buri, where the bodies were retrieved from the water. Among the deceased were two Thai nationals, Rod Supprasert, 58, and Pranom Rungruang, 41, alongside two Cambodian crew members, Wang Soi, 24, and Ko, 39. Upon notification of the incident, Rear Admiral Banchob Phodaeng, commander of the First Naval Area, dispatched a reconnaissance airplane, a helicopter, and a patrol vessel to the accident site. The collision site was identified at latitude 12.3.28 north and longitude 101.12.10 east, approximately 38 nautical miles from Sattahib. The 'Choke Chuchai' was manned by a crew of eight, consisting of five Cambodians and three Thais. While another fishing vessel, the 'Suwit Kan Pramong,' was nearby and managed to rescue one Thai and three Cambodians, the fate of the four missing crew members remained uncertain until their bodies were found. Following the incident, officials from Pattaya Harbour and the Marine Traffic and Safety Monitoring Centre conducted an investigation and located the bulk carrier 'Hyderabad,' which was implicated in the collision. The bulk carrier was transporting coal from Indonesia and had departed Rayong earlier that day. Inspections revealed evidence of a collision on the port side bow of the ship. The owner of the 'Choke Chuchai' has since lodged a formal complaint with the Map Taphut police in Rayong, seeking justice for this tragic maritime event. For more details and photographic coverage, visit http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30335578.

In a heartbreaking maritime incident on January 6, 2023, the Thai fishing vessel Chok Chu Chai was severely damaged after being struck by the Pakistan-registered bulk carrier, MV Hyderabad, in the waters southeast of Laem Chabang. The collision occurred early in the morning, causing the Chok Chu Chai to sink with only its bow remaining above the water's surface. Out of the eight crew members aboard the fishing vessel, four were successfully rescued, while the other four remain unaccounted for. Search and rescue operations were promptly initiated, involving the deployment of rescue boats and helicopters to locate the missing crew. The MV Hyderabad, which was carrying a load of coal and had recently arrived from Indonesia, is considered the primary suspect in this tragic incident. It was slated to offload its cargo at the Ko Sichang anchorage in Si Racha. Captured images of the Chok Chu Chai wreck reveal visible markings on the portside bow of the Hyderabad, further implicating the bulk carrier in this collision.

The bulk carrier 'Hyderabad', which faced seizure in Port Elizabeth earlier this August due to outstanding debts owed to Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM), has been successfully released. The Ministry of Finance stepped in, providing a financial guarantee of $14 million to facilitate the ship’s release. The vessel, which is under a lease to International Brokerage House, was seized on August 22, 2016, when it stopped at Port Elizabeth for refueling. This action stemmed from a freight default case against PSM, dating back to an agreement signed in 2009 for the supply of iron ore by a South African firm. Despite the agreement, the partnership did not progress as anticipated. The South African entity argued that both PSM and the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) are government-owned and therefore accountable for the outstanding dues to secure the vessel's release. As discussions unfolded, the PNSC contacted the Finance Ministry and the Foreign Office, seeking either the payment of the owed amount or a surety arrangement with the foreign company. The 'Hyderabad' was en route to Pedro port when it made a necessary stop in South Africa, leading to its seizure following a court order prompted by a Singaporean shipping company, which had previously engaged in the transportation of iron ore for PSM in 2008. Due to PSM's failure to fulfill a freight payment of $7.5 million after only completing four of the six trips agreed upon, a legal case was initiated. The court mandated PSM to settle $7.5 million in freight, alongside an additional $6.5 million in interest. After extensive negotiations, PNSC's Executive Director Brig (r) Arshad Siddiqui confirmed that the Finance Ministry granted the $14 million guarantee for the 'Hyderabad's' release. Subsequently, the Ministry of Finance is set to seek formal approval from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to finalise the guarantee, upon which the funds will be transferred to the Singaporean shipping entity.