Coast Guard Monitoring Disable Cargo Ship in Norfolk, Virginia

MV Mallika Naree. File photo: MarineTraffic.com/Karl Aldrin

The U.S. Coast Guard and state and local agencies are monitoring a 586-foot Thai-flagged cargo vessel that ran aground Thursday off Sewells Point in Norfolk, Virginia.

The Coast Guard said watchstanders at the Sector Hampton Roads Command Center in Portsmouth received a call at 12:50 p.m. reporting that the bulk cargo ship Mallika Naree had lost propulsion in the Elizabeth River, struck a buoy and ran soft aground outside the shipping channel.

Commercial tugboats arrived on scene and moved the cargo vessel to a nearby anchorage in the Elizabeth River, where it is now safely anchored.

The Mallika Naree is carrying cement and steel.

No signs of pollution have been detected and the vessel is not taking on water. No injuries have been reported.

Also on scene were crews from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and the Norfolk Fire Department.

“The Coast Guard and its partners train every day to respond to events like this,” said Coast Guard Cdr. Kenneth Kostecki, chief of prevention, Sector Hampton Roads. “Because of this preparedness, we were able to get on scene quickly and assess the situation, preventing further issues in the port. We will continue to monitor the situation so as to assure the environment and shipping will not be adversely affected.”

The MV Mallika Naree was sailing from Corante, France to Norfolk, Virginia, according to AIS data.

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