On the night of November 10, a ferry (name not disclosed) sank on the Mahakam River near Ujoh Halang in Long Iram district, West Kutai, Indonesia. The ferry was headed to a pier of a palm oil plantation loaded with 28 passengers and sacks of cement. Authorities state that ferry was overloaded and there was a strong current at the time of the sinking. Rescuers were able to save 20 of the 28 passengers. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
Finnwave
On the morning of November 12, the 217.5 meter long, 14509 dwt ro-ro cargo vessel Finnwave (IMO: 9468932) caught fire in English Channel approximately 11 nautical miles southeast of Eastbourne, England. The Finnwave was headed to Zeebrugge from Rosslare when a fire broke out in the vessel’s engine room.. The crew was able to extinguish the fire, but the vessel had lost engine power. The crew sent out a distress call with the RNLI responding. The RNLI lifeboat arrived on scene and stood by while the Finnwave dropped anchor. No reports of injuries. The Solent Coastguard stated they would monitor the cargo vessel while repairs were carried out.
Fire off Penghu
On the afternoon of October 13, a fishing vessel (name not disclosed) caught fire in the Taiwan Strait off Jibei Island, Penghu County, Taiwan. Authorities state the fire broke out on an abandoned fishing vessel along the shore. The local fire department arrived on site and found flames shooting into the air. After an hour, the fire fighters were able to extinguish the blaze, but the fishing vessel was heavily gutted by the fire.
An investigation into the incident has been launched. Authorities were uncertain as the fishing vessel’s registration was unknown. Investigators have stated the fire may have been started by arson. There were no one onboard at the time of the incident.
