On the afternoon of July 5, an 40-seat passenger excursion vessel capsized at Dongjiang Lake near the city of Zixing, China. Reports state a strong sudden gust of wind reaching 30 meters per second struck the passenger ship causing the vessel to capsize and sending 29 people into the water. Twenty-seven would be later rescued, but 2 people would perish during the incident. A search and rescue would recover the bodies by the following day.
Photo: xinhua
Photo: xinhua
Photo: nfnews.com
Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. Initial reports state the vessel was not overloaded and there were no prior issues with the vessel. The name of the vessel was not disclosed.
On the afternoon of July 6, the 148 meter long, 19477 dwt chemical tanker Fulda (IMO: 9185865) exploded if the Gulf of Kurch near the port of Kandla, Gujarat, India. The Fulda had completed a discharge of a cargo of methanol at the Oil Jetty No. 2 in the port in Kandla and proceeded to leave port bound for Port Sohar, Oman. A few hours later the Fulda would explode ripping up most of its top deck apart. Witnessed by the nearby 175.5 meter long, 31858 dwt bulk carrier Team Focus (IMO: 9424132), the Fulda sustained massive damage but was still afloat. The master of the tanker stated there was no underwater damage and none of the 384 tons of fuel had not been released into the water.
However, the Fulda may have suffered some water ingress to its ballast tanks as it developed a 22 degree list to starboard that shifted to port as the crew attempted to stabilize the vessel. The 21 crew on board the tanker were later evacuated by the 31.5 meter long tug Orchid Star (IMO: 9658850) which had been dispatched from Kandla. No details were reported if any crew had been injured from the incident.
Indian authorities dispatched multiple vessels from the Coast Guard along with multiple tugs to monitor the Fulda. The Coast Guard has sent out alerts to keep all vessel traffic away from the tanker due to the potential of fire or pollution being released. Latest reports state the Fulda was taken under tow back to Kandla.
Photo: x.com
Photo: x.com
Photo: x.com
Photo: x.com
Photo: x.com
The cause of the explosion is under investigation. Initial reports suggest the explosion was due to the improper venting of flammable vapors during the discharge. There has been no reports if the Fulda was in the practice of using inert gassing or if it allowed an air-vapor mixture to to build up in the tanks like what occurred on the Sansinena explosion in 1976. That explosion was so massive that sections of the vessel sent burning rivets into the air into the surround area and lead to changes to regulations on how venting was done on tankers.
On July 6, the 180 meter long, 30062 dwt LPG tanker Eco Wizard (IMO: 9941568) exploded in the Gulf of Finland while berthed at the port of Ust-Luga, Russia. The Eco Wizard had arrived from Antwerp, Belgium and had begun unloading and loading operations. Authorities state an explosion occurred during these operations resulting in a leak of liquid ammonia. All 23 crew were evacuated from the tanker while emergency personnel attempted to contain the leak. Authorities did not disclose the extent of damage to the Eco Wizard, but divers are set to inspect the hull for damage. The Eco Wizard is suspected to belong to Russia’s “shadow fleet” and there is some speculation the explosion was an act of sabotage.
