Wednesday, December 29 2004 20:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: M V Kalighat, a 400 passenger-cum-100 tonne cargo vessel, built for the Andaman and Nicobar administration, sailed for Port Blair today (Dec 29, 2004) after an urgent message from the island authority.

Official sources said that the vessel, built by Hooghly Dock and Port Engineers Limited, set sail for the Andaman Islands after receiving a SOS from the administration there to cope with the situation arising out of the devastating tremor and tidal waves that totally dislocated the communication system.

The vessel, sources said, would help the island administration in crisis management, particularly after the tsunami devastation, and help in restoring devastated inter-island service.

The ship makers said that they had taken immediate measures to sail the vessel and it left for Port Blair after completing necessary formalities.