The cargo vessel Min Ningde Cargo 0202 capsized and sank off the Ningde City, Fujian Province, China. The vessel sent out a distress call that the vessel was sinking. Two of the 6 crewmen aboard were rescued. A search for the missing 4 crewmen is being conducted by the maritime safety administration.
The 75,300 dwt freighter MS Oliva went aground off Nightingale Island which is part the South Atlantic Islands of Tristan da Cunha. The Oliva was bound for Singapore from Santos, Brazil with a cargo of soya beans when it struck a rocky outcrop and firmly aground. The initial grounding caused damage to 4 ballast tanks. Salvage attempt was possible even if the nearest salvage team from Cape Town, South Africa was 5 days away. However, weather worsen with heavy swells. All 22 crewmen on board the Oliva were safely rescued by the fishing vessel Edinburgh and cruise ship MS Prince Albert II. On March 18, the MS Oliva broke-n-two wieht the superstructure breakup up in the swells. Pollution is now the major concern as fuel oil and 60,000 tons of soya beans washing ashore around Nightingale Island and nearby wildlife preserves. The pollution will impact the environment and fishing industry for Tristan da Cunha.
The 20,140 dwt freighter Marchicora collided with the 18,000 dwt chemical tanker Besiktas Scotland in the port of St. Petersburg, Russia. The Marchicora loaded with a cargo of metal suffered bow damage and lost an anchor. The Besiktas Scotland was holed above the waterline. The Besiktas Scotland was in ballast and stranded in the ice waiting on an icebreaker for assistance before the collision. Reports state some oil pollution was released.
