Cargo Ship Capsizes in Iranian Port
*As tanker fire kills two Seafarers
WMN.. A Comoros-flagged general cargo vessel capsized while berthed in Shahid Rajaei Port in Bandar Abbas, Iran, on March 19, 2019.
The ship in question was the 4,400 dwt SL Star, operated by the UAE-based Sea Link Shipping.
SL Star was loaded with 153 containers, VesselsValue’s data shows.
At the time of the incident, there were fourteen crewmembers on board, the majority of them being Indian nationals. All of them were rescued from the distressed SL Star. Three men were transported to a local hospital, with one suffering serious foot injuries, according to Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO).
An investigation into the exact cause of the incident has been launched. However, Iranian Tasnim News Agency report indicates that “a lack of coordination between the ship’s officer and the contractor charged with unloading the vessel” is likely the cause of the capsizing.
The PMO added that preparations have been made to deal with possible pollution. In addition, container removal operations have begun.
Built in China in 2007, SL Star had a gross tonnage of 2,827 tons.
Meanwhile, two seafarers lost their lives while another one was injured in a fire aboard an oil tanker off the southern coast of South Korea.
The ill-fated seafarers, aged 68 and 79, were found deceased in the ship’s pilothouse, while the tanker’s chief engineer suffered burns and was transported to a hospital for treatment.
The fire broke out on the unnamed 494-ton ship in the early morning hours of March 20, Yonhap New Agency cited local authorities.
At the time of the incident, the vessel was some 5 kilometers off Odong Island, South Jeolla Province.
Loaded with 10,000 tons of bunker fuel, C oil and heavy oil, the vessel was crewed by six sailors, four of whom managed to escape the ship shortly after the fire started.
The fire did not spread aboard the ship and was contained within hours, reports World Maritime News.
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