Kolkata: A Singapore-flagged container ship crashed into an embankment after losing control in the Hooghly River in India's West Bengal state.

According to Nam News Network, the 148-metre-long Nawata Bhum was en route to Kolkata's Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, having departed Port Klang nine days earlier on August 3. The ship hit the embankment at Noorpur in Diamond Harbour in West Bengal state's South 24 Parganas district, approximately 50 kilometres from Kolkata, on Wednesday, as reported by the Indian Express on Thursday.

"However, since no launch or boat was stationed at the ferry terminal at the time of the crash, a major disaster was averted," the report stated, noting that the collision caused cracks in the riverbank. Videos of the incident posted on social media show the ship appearing out of control before running aground.