The International Maritime Organization has issued a new warning that a newly-discovered phenomenon - different from cargo liquefaction - could cause bauxite cargoes to become unstable when carried in bulk on a ship, potentially causing the vessel to capsize and sink. Bauxite, a type of rock, is one of the world’s major sources of aluminium with around 100 million … [Read more...]
Bulk Jupiter Investigation Prompts IMO Bauxite Liquefaction Warning
The International Maritime Organization is taking action to warn ship Masters about the possible dangers of bauxite liquefaction following findings from an investigation into the fatal sinking of Bulk Jupiter in January 2015. The new warning was released in a circular approved by IMO’s Sub-Committee on Carriage of Containers and Cargoes (CCC) during a meeting … [Read more...]
Gearbulk: Bulk Jupiter Search Continues as Investigation Gets Underway
International bulk shipper Gearbulk issued a statement Wednesday regarding the investigation and continued search for signs of the MV Bulk Jupiter, which sank on January 2nd off the coast of Vietnam with the loss of all but one of 19 crewmembers onboard. In the long and heartfelt statement, Gearbulk said that even though Vietnamese authorities have scaled down their search, … [Read more...]
Bulk Jupiter Sinking Prompts Bauxite Liquefaction Warnings
The recent loss of the Bulk Jupiter off Vietnam has once again prompted insurers to warn over the carriage bauxite aluminum ore cargoes and the potential for liquefaction. The Gearbulk-owned MV Bulk Jupiter unexpectedly sank after departing from Kuantan, Malaysia on December 30 fully laden with 46,400 metric tons of bauxite, a clay-like substance that is the primary ore used … [Read more...]
Gearbulk’s Search for Survivors or Wreckage Continues Off Vietnam
"No new crewmembers or debris from the sunken vessel have been detected," said Gearbulk in their latest update today following the sinking of their ship Bulk Jupiter early last Friday off Vietnam. The ship's cook Angelito Capindo Rojas is the only survivor of the incident to have been recovered and only two other bodies have been found. He spent two days in the ocean before … [Read more...]