Shipwreck washes up on Satabhaya beach

Kendrapada: A shipwreck washed ashore near Satabhaya beach in Kendrapada district on Wednesday. Locals first spotted the wreckage. “I along with six persons from nearby Magarakandha village rushed to the beach to see the shipwreck,”said a villager.“The ship wreack is probably centuries old and was washed ashore due to the impact of cyclone Montha. The high tide might soon pull it back into the ocean before it is retrieved. The authorities should salvage it,” said Tapan Pati, a noted historian and former professor of history.As the shipwreck was found on the beach within Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, the forest department informed the administration, said official sources. “More research is required to ascertain the ship’s identity. It’s likely that the shipwreck was buried somewhere off the coast, and that rough seas over the last few days brought it towards the coast,” said Sunil Patnaik, a noted archaeologist and former secretary of Orissan Institute of Maritime and South East Asian Studies (OIMSEAS).