The MRCC in Mumbai has reported that the sections of the Mol Comfort remain afloat.  Around noon JST on Tuesday, June 18 (07:00 local time), the fore part of the hull is drifting around 13’00″N 60’40″E, and the aft part is about 19 miles southwest from that point. At present, both parts of the ship are laden with containers and drifting in an east-northeast direction.  The sections are being monitored by the Sanderling Ace, another vessel managed by MOL.  The company is also arranging tugboats to tow both sections.

The reason for the 5 year old vessel to break-in-two is still not known.  Reports state the vessel could result in a lost around 83 million dollars for Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL).

The 82 meter long, 2694 dwt freighter Wilson Mosel allided with the quay at Papenburg, Germany.  The vessel was departing from the port bound for Rotterdam when it struck the pier.   The Wilson Mosel suffered a gash in the hull with some 200 liters of diesel fuel was release into the harbor.   The local fire brigade deployed an oil boom to contain the spill.   No reports of injuries.   Reports state the cause of the allision was due to human error.  The master and the 1st mate of the Wilson Mosel was fine 1000 Euros.   The vessel was allowed to leave port the next day.

Photo: indianexpress.com

The 316 meter long, 90613 dwt container ship Mol Comfort broke-in-two and sank in the Indian Ocean some 200 miles off Yemen and 840 miles off Mumbai.  The Mol Comfort was en route to Jeddah from Singapore with 4,500 containers when it hit rough seas.   The vessel encountered strong winds and waves up to six meters when it suffered structural failure.  The vessel developed a crack amidships and eventually broke-in-two.   The 26 crew on board abandoned ship into the vessel’s life rafts and the lifeboat.   The Indian Coast Guard dispatched vessels to the scene and requested vessels in the area to assist.   Reports state that all 26 crew were safely rescued by the nearby vessel Yantian Express.  The Yantian Express is proceeding to Colombo, Sri Lanka.  No reports of injuries.   An oil spill was spotted, but the quantity of oil released was unknown. Several containers were spotted floating around the position where the Mol Comfort sank.

Related articles

• MOL Comfort Suffers Damage During Trip to Jeddah (worldmaritimenews.com)
• MOL COMFORT feared lost in Arabian Sea – all crew safe (linervision.wordpress.com)
• MOL Completes Containership Collision Drills (shippingtribune.com)

The 100 meter long self-propelled tanker barge Elize V loaded with 1800 tons of gas oil went aground  near Harlingen, Netherlands.  The Elize V had veered out of the fairway and went up onto a sandbar.  No reports of injuries, damage or pollution released.  A boom was placed around the Elize V as a precaution. Another tanker was brought alongside and lightered off some of the gas oil.   The Elize V was then refloated later the same day and proceeded to Harlingen for inspection.  Reports state there were high winds in the area which may have contributed to the grounding.

The offshore supply vessel Celeste Ann collided with an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico near the mouth of the Mississippi River near Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.  The Celeste Ann later sank.   The 4 crew and 19 passengers on board were able to be safely transferred to another nearby vessel.  No reports of injuries.  The rig was undamaged.   Some pollution was released with a gasoline sheen was spotted where the Celeste Ann sank.   A boom was deployed to contain the spill.   The cause of incident was not yet known.   The Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the incident.