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Day: November 19, 2015

Le Boréal

Le Boréal

Le Boréal
© Crown copyright 2015

On November 18, the 142 meter long passenger cruise ship Le Boréal became disabled while en route to South Georgia from Ushuaia, Argentina on a 15 day cruise in the South Atlantic Ocean and Antarctica. The Le Boréal had suffered an engine room fire while off the Falkland Islands. The crew was able to extinguish the blaze, but the cruise ship had sustained significant damage resulting with a total loss of all power. Adrift, the Le Boréal was being driven towards Cape Dolphin, East Falkland by a strong northwesterly gale.  With no possibility of restoring power and a risk of going aground, the Le Boréal sent out a distress call and ordered everyone on board to abandon ship.

Authorities on the Falklands Islands received the call and with British Forces dispatched helicopters and vessels to the scene. When rescuers arrived on scene, they found multiple life rafts from the Le Boréal with over 200 persons while a small number still on the deck of the cruise ship.  Rescue helicopters lifted 79 off the deck while the HMS Clyde rescued over 200 people from the life rafts.

Authorities later reported that all passengers and crew had been accounted and were safely taken to the Falklands. Two tugs were dispatched and was able to keep the Le Boréal from going aground. Reports state the tug and salvage crews were to assess the condition of the Le Boréal. No reports of injuries or pollution released.

Hua Chun 19

Hua Chun 19

Hua Chun 19
Photo: newsmaritime.com

The 90 meter long cargo vessel Hua Chun 19 capsized and sank in the Yellow Sea off Qingdao, China. The Hua Chun 19 had departed from Qingdao with 4000 tons of steel bound for Guangdong.  Some 70 miles from Qingdao, the vessel suffered a cargo shift causing the vessel to capsize and sink in just a few minutes.  Authorities launched a search and rescue operation and pulled 5 survivors from the water. All had suffered hypothermia and were taken to hospital. Authorities also pulled 2 bodies of crewmen who had drowned. Four additional men were still reported missing.  An oil sheen was spotted near the sinking.  Authorities dispatched a pollution control vessel to the scene.