Merchant vessel Cheng Le Men, carrying iron ore fines to China from New Mangalore Port, began listing to one side seven nautical miles from the port, off the Tannirbhavi coast, on Thursday.
Captain Yang Jing Mu tried to bring the ship back to port, but the vessel ran aground some two nautical miles off the coast. Responding to a distress call from the Captain, the port authorities sent two tugs to pull the ship into deeper waters.