The 103 meter long, 6500 dwt freighter Saigon Queen capsized and sank in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka. The Saigon Queen was en route from Ho Chi Minh City to Tutoourin with a cargo of wood. The cargo on board had shifted caused the vessel to list. The crew were unable to level the cargo and the vessel rolled over and sank. Three crewmen were rescued by the 23484 dwt bulk freighter Pacific Skipper while 15 other crewmen were able to abandon to the vessel’s liferaft. Four other crewmen were reported missing with the MRCC Sri Lanka launching a search and rescue for the men.
The 260 meter long, 54405 dwt container ship Amsterdam Bridge caught fire in the Indian Ocean near Mumbai, India. The freighter was en route to Colombo from Mumbai when a fire broke out in the engine room. The crew was able to drop anchor after loosing power. No reports of injuries to the crew on board. The Indian Coast Guard dispatched two vessels to the scene and monitoring the situation. No details reported to the extent of damage sustained in the fire.
Photo: ndtv.com
Update
The two Coast Guard vessels on scene were unable to extinguish the fire. Additional three vessels were requested and the combine vessels fought the blaze for several hours. However, the fire reignited inside several cargo containers and soon the middle section of the vessel was ablaze. Several containers loaded with hazardous and noxious chemicals did catch fire and released into the air. No reports of injuries. Several reports stated that the Coast Guard was able to douse the fire by the next day.
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.
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.
