The 205 meter long, 5656 dwt cruise passenger ship Black Watch caught fire while en route to Funchal, Madeira. The fire started in the vessel’s auxillary engine room and was quickly extinguished by the crew. No reports of injuries to passengers or the crew. The crew were able to restore power after a few hours with two of the four main engines operational. The Black Watch was reported to continue its voyage to Funchal where passengers will disembark and fly home to the United Kingdom.
The high-speed passenger ferryMadeira struck an unknown object in Hong Kong near the island of Hei Ling Chau. The hydrofoil was en route to Macau from a western section of Hong Kong with 105 passengers and 10 crew when it struck the object. The Madeira was thrown upwards by them impact throwing passengers from their seats. The ferry was disabled, but had only slight damage. A total of 85 people on board were injured. Some 20 ambulances were on scene when the Madeira was towed to the ferry terminal at Sheung Wan. Forty-six persons were taken to hospital. Local authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. An initial search failed to find the mystery object.
The 361 meter long, 404,389 dwt dry bulk carrier Vale Beijing suffered water ingress while loading iron ore at Ponta da Madeira, Brazil. The VLOC (Very Large Ore Carrier) suffered multiple cracks in it’s ballast tanks. The cracks have allowed water to flood into the No. 7 hold. The Vale Beijing was scheduled to load 384,000 tons of iron ore but stopped when after 200,000 tons had been loaded. The vessel is to be pulled out of service for repairs. The Vale Beijing just started service on September 27, 2011 as the largest ore carrier afloat. The Vale Beijing, classified as Valemax, is nearly twice the size of a typical capsize vessel that carries iron ore from Brazil to China. One report states the cause of the hull cracks may be the result of poor quality in the construction of the vessel. Reports state if the vessel would sink, it could delay further shipments of iron ore from the port. No reports of injuries.
Video of the Vale Beijing being towed to an anchorage.
