Archive · 15 Aug 2026
Bombay HC Orders Urgent LPG Discharge From Jaigarh Port Vessel
A big ship called LPG Amir Gas has been parked at a port in India since April because of a legal argument between two companies.
The ship is full of a very dangerous gas called LPG that needs to stay cold.
But when safety experts checked the ship, they found that some very important machines were broken.
The cooling machine, the water sprayers used for fires, and the special gas system that keeps the air out were all not working.
If the gas gets too hot, the ship could explode, and that would be very dangerous for people, other ships, and the environment nearby.
So a judge ordered that the gas must be removed from the ship quickly and safely.
A company agreed to pay a big amount of money so it could take the gas away.
The judge also told rescue and safety teams to get ready in case anything goes wrong.
Even after the gas is removed, the ship will stay under the court's control while the legal argument continues.
The Bombay High Court ordered the urgent discharge of 1,880.26 metric tonnes of highly inflammable LPG from the arrested vessel LPG Amir Gas at Jaigarh Port, Ratnagiri.
A Directorate General of Shipping inspection on August 5 found critical defects, including a non-functional main cargo cooling pump, an inoperative firefighting sprinkler system, and a non-operational inert gas system.
Justice Abhay Ahuja ruled that any party depositing AED 34,78,481 as security could have the cargo discharged in its favour; plaintiff JSW Jaigarh Port Ltd agreed to deposit the amount.
The court was told that failure to keep the cargo cool could cause an explosion with potential damage within a 5 to 10 km radius, endangering the crew, port facilities, other ships, and the environment.
Disaster management authorities were directed to plan for a safe discharge even if no security is deposited, and the vessel's arrest will continue after the LPG is offloaded.
- Who
- Justice Abhay Ahuja of the Bombay High Court; plaintiff JSW Jaigarh Port Ltd; the arrested vessel LPG Amir Gas and its owner; the Directorate General of Shipping.
- What
- Ordered urgent discharge of 1,880.26 metric tonnes of LPG from the arrested vessel at Jaigarh Port over critical safety defects posing an explosion risk.
- When
- Order passed last week, following a Directorate General of Shipping inspection on August 5, 2026; the vessel was arrested in April.
- Where
- Jaigarh Port, Ratnagiri; the order was issued by the Bombay High Court in Mumbai.
- Why
- To avert a possible explosion and catastrophe, as the LPG requires continuous cooling but the ship's safety systems were defective and its protection and indemnity insurance had expired.
- Vessel
- LPG Amir Gas
- Cargo
- 1,880.26 metric tonnes of LPG
- Port
- Jaigarh Port, Ratnagiri
- Court
- Bombay High Court (Justice Abhay Ahuja)
- Security Deposit
- AED 34,78,481
- Inspection
- Directorate General of Shipping, August 5, 2026
- Potential Damage Radius
- 5 to 10 km
- Key Defects
- Non-functional cooling pump, inoperative sprinkler system, non-operational inert gas system