The MV Smart has fully split in two overnight and authorities are scrambling to put together a plan to offload the fuel oil and cargo from the wreck perched on a sandbar just off a popular surfing beach at Richards Bay, South Africa.
A spokesperson for the South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) has said there is an estimated 1,769 tons of fuel oil and 129 tons of diesel on board, but there is no immediate threat of a spill. The salvage will focus on the removal of the fuel first, the spokesperson said.
The ship had just finished loading 147,650 tonnes of coal at the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) when she ran aground in 10 meter swells.
The Panamanian-flagged ship is registered to Alpha Marine Corp., Reuters reports. After loading at Richards Bay it was intended to deliver its cargo to a port in China, according to Thomson Reuters data.
Experts from the SA Maritime Safety Authority and salvage company Subtech are currently on board the Smart assessing the situation according to reports.
Earlier Update [AUGUST 19, 2013] –
A bulk carrier has run aground and appears to be breaking up along the east coast of South Africa near Richards Bay.
The 151,000 dwt bulk carrier MV Smart ran aground on a sandbar Monday in 10 meter swells after departing Port Richards Bay. The vessel had finished loading coal at the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) earlier Monday.
Photos of the grounded ship show the hull has suffered structural failure at around amidships and is severely sagging.
The National Sea Rescue Institute was alerted of the grounding at about 1:30 p.m. local time. At approximately 4 p.m., the structural integrity of the ship was compromised and the captain gave the order to abandon ship, NSRI said in a statement.
All 23 crew members have been rescued by NSRI helicopter crews.
A source has told us that the vessel started to break in half and at this point may be in two pieces.
SAMSA (South African Maritime safety Authority) are en route to investigate and begin evaluations for salvage, the NSRI statement said.
A local news report said that the vessel was no longer under pilotage and may have experienced engine failure.
The incident comes just as the bulk carrier Kiani Satu was pulled free from a South African beach this weekend, but is believed to be in danger of sinking in deep water.
South African photographer Daryl Visser captured the following images of the MV Smart as she was leaving the harbor, and before she broke apart yesterday. See more at his Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/darylvisserphotography
Image (c) Darry Visser PhotographyImage (c) Darry Visser PhotographyAIS data for MV Smart provided by MarineTraffic.com
Feb 9 (Reuters) – At 23-years-old, Violette Dorange became the youngest sailor to finish the after completing the gruelling solo round-the-world yacht race on Sunday. Dorange completed the race in 25th place...
(Bloomberg) — The owner of the shipping yard that built the Titanic is entering administration, a type of insolvency procedure in the UK, for the second time in five years. ...
John Long (Flinders University) Imagine the seas off Peru, 6 million years ago. A group of long-nosed dolphins swam through the warm seawater, breaking the surface with occasional enthusiastic leaps...
September 15, 2024
Total Views: 3183
Get The Industry’s Go-To News
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
— just like 109,211 professionals
Secure Your Spot
on the gCaptain Crew
Stay informed with the latest maritime and offshore news, delivered daily straight to your inbox
— trusted by our 109,211 members
Your Gateway to the Maritime World!
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.