Smoke levels have been reduced on the fire-ravaged containership SSL Kolkata, but bad weather has been hampering salvage efforts.
Asian Age reported that joint salvage operations involving Smit and the coast guard would continue this week in the Bay of Bengal on the 1,118-teu Shreyas Shipping & Logistics ship (built 2007).
A coast guard official was cited as saying: “The smoke is very less now. The salvage operation is in progress.
"Our coast guard ship has taken additional personnel, who came from Netherlands, of the salvage team from Haldia and it's going to SSL Kolkata.
"The salvage team is carrying additional specialist equipment for salvage.”
Smit personnel could not board the vessel for a full inspection on Wednesday because of bad weather, the Telegraph reported.
Four Smit team members had boarded on Tuesday and made a preliminary assessment.
A tug is due later to bring the ship into port for repairs.
Indian marines anchored the drifting vessel over the weekend after it was hit by fire off Haldia last Thursday.
The blaze had been contained on Monday.
All 22 crew abandoned ship after the fire broke out 55 miles offshore. It spread to at least 60 containers.
