Browsed by
Tag: Christmas Island

Death Toll Rises – 4 Migrant Boats Shipwrecks

Death Toll Rises – 4 Migrant Boats Shipwrecks

Photo: Taken by the MV Bison Express before the boat the capsized. (Australian Maritime Safety Authority)

June 27

A vessel carrying some 150 asylum seekers capsized on the Indian Ocean near Christmas Island.   A satellite phone call was made by one of the passengers stating the vessel was in distress and required assistance.   The 122 meter long livestock carrier Bison Express had passed by the boat earlier taking a photo of the crowded decks of the boat.    The Bison Express was contacted by the authorities to assist while they dispatched two Australian Navy vessels to the scene.   Another merchant vessel arrived on scene to assist in search and rescue operations.   The number of survivors were not known by early reports.

June 21

The 56 meter long freighter Jireh ran aground near Mona Island, Puerto Rico.  The vessel loaded with 100 migrants passengers was en route to St. Martin when it struck a reef.  Some 80 passengers swam ashore to the island with the remaining passengers staying on board.  Read more on our prior posting…

 

June 20

A migrant boat capsizes and sinks on Lake Malawi north of Lilongwe, Malawi.   The vessel was overloaded with some 60 immigrants from Ethiopia who were trying to reach South Africa.   Local villagers began to find bodies the following morning and contacted the authorities.   Some 47 bodies were recovered from the lake.  Three men were later arrested connected to the vessel for illegal human trafficking.

Related articles

 

June 19

The AMSA received a call from an unnamed vessel that a vessel had sank between Christmas Island and the Indonesian mainland.   The boat was overloaded with some 200 migrants and asylum seekers when it got caught in bad weather.  The vessel quickly lost stability and capsized sending people into the water.   The authorities dispatched multiple aircraft and rescue vessels to the scene.  Some 110 survivors were pulled from the water.   Reports state only men survived and the majority of those who had perished were women and children.   The survivors were mostly from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Tycoon Update

Tycoon Update

Photo: Robyn Stephenson

The freighter Tycoon broke its moorings on January 8 and smashed against the rocky cliffs in Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island.   The Tycoon has broken apart spilling its cargo and releasing its diesel and fuel oil into water.   Three weeks later, the Tycoon still rests broken along the sea wall.  The heavy seas has prevented any salvage operations and a large oil slick still continues to cover a large area of the cove.   One report states the water is nearly pitch black with oil.   There had been some hope that the oil would be washed out to sea, but the oil has washed up along the beaches.    Authorities state that no operations can begin until weather conditions improve.

More information at ABC News
pollution from the tycoon
pollution from the tycoon

Enhanced by Zemanta
Tycoon Splits in Two

Tycoon Splits in Two

The 84 meter long, 4129 dwt freighter Tycoon broke its mooring and went aground at the phosphate loading area, Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island.   The Tycoon was loading phosphate when heavy swells caused the vessel to break its mooring lines and come ashore and striking the seawall.   The swells reached four meters pounding the vessel until the Tycoon broke-in-two.   The 15 crewmen on board were rescued by the Australian Navy.   Two crewmen suffered slight injuries and were taken to hospital.  The Tycoon breakup has released a large amount of pollution including 102 tons of fuel oil, 32 tons of diesel fuel, 11000 litres of lubricant oil and 260 tons of phosphate cargo.   A report states the pollution will most likely kill the coral in the cove.  Another report state the isolated community will not able to receive supplies at the wharf until the wreck can be salvaged or removed.   Authorities have started an investigation into the incident.

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta