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The New Zealand Navy has released the first images of the sunken HMNZS 'Manawanui', lying just below the surface of the reef, near Upolu in Samoa, which the ship struck on Oct 5, while it was conducting a hydrographic survey and was sailing about one nautical mile from the coast in rough weather. The exact circumstances wree still being investigated. There was a slow diesel leak from an engine room pipe and vent which is causing a slight sheen on the sea’s surface. So far, the main fuel tanks that were accessible for assessment have remained intact, and there was no evidence of any leaks from these. Officials could not definitively state how much fuel has leaked at this time but considered, based on a week’s worth of evidence, that it was less than what was first assessed. The response continued to work towards mitigating any further environmental impacts. Ongoing assessments and further analysis continued to take place regularly,in support of the Samoan Government. The New Zealand Navy was also investigating how to remove the 950 tonnes of diesel fuel that remained in the ship's tanks. Report with video: https://www.maritimedanmark.dk/forste-billeder-af-sunket-forskningsskib

Beached at Aliaga 16.10.24

On the afternoon of Oct 15,, the Port Authority of Elefsina was informed, that a wire of the stern ramp had broken while the 'Kapetan Christos' was sailing. The ship docked safely at the port, and the Central Port Authority of Elefsina initially prohibited the sailing of the ship. After the presentation of a seaworthiness certificate by the classifier monitoring it, the sailing ban was lifted.

On the morning of Oct 14, 2024, the Port Authority of Pythagoras was informed that the 'Dodekanisos Pride', which had set sail for the scheduled route to the port of Fourni, had suffered a mechanical failure in the starboard side main engine. The ship returned to the port of Pythagoreion, but due to the strong winds prevailing in the area, it was initally unable to dock. Only with the assistance of a patrol vessel of the Greek Coast Guard and private boats, the ship could finally be berthed safely at the port and disembarked its 27 passengers. During the mooring manoever, a crew member suffered a hand injury, and after being transported by the patrol boat to shore, he was treated at the General Hospital of Samos. The 1st Port Department of Pythagoras of the Port Authority of Samos, which conducted the preliminary investigation, banned the ship from sailing until the repair of the damage and presenting a class maintenance certificate by the attending classification society. The ship left the port again at 8.30 p.m. UTC. en route to Rhodes. The incident did not cause marine pollution. The passengers will be forwarded to their destination by the care of the ferry company.

The 'Pan Viva' has successfully weathered a severe storm off the Alaskan coast and resumed its voyage, averting a potential environmental disaster and alleviating concerns of a possible grounding off Unalaska, Alaska, on Oct 15. The U.S. Coast Guard cleared the ship to return to sea. Since Oct 12, the ship had been battling fierce winds of up to 58 knots and seas over 20 feet. Despite this, the ship managed to anchor, reporting no mechanical failures and remained stable throughout the ordeal. As a precautionary measure, a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew evacuated four crew members to Dutch Harbor. The Coast Guard Cutter Stratton and a commercial tug remained on standby in the Udegak Pass, ready to provide additional assistance if needed. The Pan Viva was moved to a temporary anchorage on the night of Oct 14 before getting underway again the following morning, en route from Dandong, China to Kalama, Washington, with an ETA as of Oct 21. Report with photo: https://gcaptain.com/cargo-ship-pan-viva-weighs-anchor-after-weathering-fierce-alaskan-storm/

arrived Alang Anchorage 15.10.24

After a massive fire broke out on two LPG carriers 'Captain Nikolas' and 'B-LPG Sophia', while they were transferring cargo off the coast of Bangladesh on Oct 13 at around 12:45 a.m., while the tankers were anchored near Kutubdia, Chattogram, the Chittagong Port Authority has formed a committee to investigate the accident. The committee’s report must be completed within one week. The Bangladesh Coast Guard and Navy had responded immediately, sending seven vessels to help extinguish the fire. The fire on board the 'Captain Nikolas' was brought under control at around 03.30 a.m. The fire on the 'B-LPG Sophia'Ä burned until 1230 p.m. Teams from Bangladesh’s Navy and Coastguard continued to monitor the vessel for the risk of a re-ignition. 31 people jumped into the water from both ships to escape the fire, but were safely rescued with no serious injuries reporded. Eight locally hired watchman who were on the 'Captain Nikolas' were among the rescued. Allegedly the cargo on the 'Captain Nikolas' was misdeclared and actually came from Iran, which is under sanctions, as per the LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB). Mohd Omar Faruk, Secretary of the Chittagong Port Authority, stated that the inspection of the 'Captain Nikolas' found no sign of illegal cargo and that the LPG was loaded in Dubai or Oman. The tanker was detained in Hunan in January due to fire protection issues on the cargo deck and was cited again in March for the same violations. Over the past nine months, it has been registered with Panama and Cook Islands before changing flag to Tanzania. Between Sep 9 and Sep18, ahead of the voyage to Bangladesh, the AIS transmissions were consistent with patterns of manipulation. The 'B-LPG Sophia' was found with 16 deficiencies, including to its emergency fire pumps and its pipes, during an inspection in Chittagong on Sep 6. Report with photo: https://maritime-executive.com/article/two-lpg-carriers-catch-fire-at-chittagong-during-sts-transfer

On Oct 16, Salvamento Marítimo was notified about a dinghy leaving from Tan Tan. The CCS Las Palmas mobilized the 'Guardamar Concepción Arenal', which assisted the 58 people aboard, among them six women, one of whom was pregnant, and one minor, in apparent good condition 61 nautical miles east of Lanzarote. They were heading to Arrecife.

On Oct 16,, the Colombian consultate in London named the woman who went overboard from the 'MSC Virtuosa' north of Les Casquets rocks, west of Alderney, early on Oct 12, as Jessica Andrea Gómez Granda. The 28-year-old Colombian national was identified with authorities in Paris and her family had been notified. The cruise ship docked in Southampton on Oct 12 at around 8 a.m., following its journey from Cartagena.

On the afternoon of Oct 15, the Port Authority of Igoumenitsa was informed about a fire inside a vehicle (camper type), which was located in garage No. 6 of the 'Hellenic Spirit'. During the loading operation, crew members noticed smoke coming out of the vehicle's vents and proceeded to extinguish it using the ship's fire extinguishers. There were no injuries from the incident and no damage was caused to other vehicles or parts of the ship. The vehicle was taken to the pier of the external port of Igoumenitsa. The ship was inspected by officers from the port's Local Ship Inspection Unit, who determined that the ship's seaworthiness was not affected by the incident. A preliminary investigation was being carried out by the Central Port Authority of Igoumenitsa, while the ferry set sail for the execution of its scheduled route to Ancona with 373 passengers and 81 crew members on board.

With 56 leaders due to assemble in Samoan capital Apia next week for the 27th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting a decision about the possible salvage of the RNZS 'Manawanui' was postponed. Samoa’s Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa told a media conference on Oct 15, while discussions were still underway, security and other concerns made it unlikely work would continue during the CHOGM, which will also be attended by King Charles. Fiamē said she understood the leakage of up to 200,000 litres of the 900,000 of light diesel on the ship had now been stopped. The possibility of locals receiving compensation from the NZ Government for environmental damage would depend on clear evidence of impacts on livelihood, to be evaluated in due course. There were about 60 NZ Defence Force personnel and specialists from other agencies and local authorities working at the scene. Three containers from the ship remained on the reef. The team has emptied one of the containers and one was already empty. The task group ashore and Maritime NZ have confirmed that so far no pollution has been found on the shorelines, nor any deceased wildlife, but NZDF continued to conduct daily beach surveys together with local authorities. RNZAF uncrewed aerial vehicles have been assisting with shoreline surveys. Diving continued with a focus on damage assessment and obtaining imagery to aid in the investigation and containment, and an RNZAF P-8A Poseidon and crew have conducted several surveillance flights to provide imagery and assessments of the site. On Oct 17, the HMNZS 'Canterbury' was due arrive in Apia harbour to support the Government of Samoa’s hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The ship was also transporting equipment that can assist in the ongoing response. An official Court of Inquiry into the loss was established by the NZDF on Oct 10.

arrived Alang Anchorage 15.10.24

The Plymouth Coastguard Rescue Team, a lifeboat from Plymouth RNLI and the Coastguard helicopter from Newquay were scrambled on Oct 15 at 10 a.m. to deal with a medical emergency on the 'Artania' in Plymouth Sound. A person on board had to be taken off the vessel while it was at anchor during its one-day stop. The Coastguard helicopter hoisted the patient and then landed on Plymouth Hoe. A lifeboat from the nearby RNLI station at West Hoe attended during the incident. Report with photo': https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/local-news/major-medical-incident-massive-cruise-9634415

The Russian attack on Oct 9 with ballistic missiles against various infrastructures in the port of Chornomorsk, a few kilometers south of Odessa, caused the death of six people, injuries to 11 others and damage to the 'Shui Spirit', according to Ukrainian government sources. This was the third attack on maritime commercial interests in Ukrainian Black Sea ports in four days and the fifth merchant ship hit by the Russian military in the space of a month, The attack followe the one on Oct 7, when the cargo m/v 'Optima' was hit by a Russian missile while operating in another port in the Greater Odessa region, causing the death of a Ukrainian port worker and injuries to five crew members of the ship. Also on Oct 6, an Iskander M missile hit the cargo m/v 'Paresa' in the port of Yuzhny. The attack caused significant damage, although there were no casualties among the crew. Russian authorities have officially acknowledged the attack on the 'Paresa', arguing that it was carrying war material destined for Ukraine, a claim that has been denied by the company that manages the ship, AK Shipping, based in Greece. According to its executives, the ship arrived at the port of Yuzhny in ballast and was prepared to load corn. For the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister, Oleksii Kuleba, these attacks are a deliberate attempt to intimidate and hinder the work of the Ukrainian maritime corridor. He assured that maritime trade, which has operated relatively smoothly since the creation of the Ukrainian corridor in August 2023, now faces a constant threat from Russia. This corridor was established after Moscow withdrew from a UN-led plan and has been key to the Ukrainian economy, allowing more than 2,500 commercial transits from the ports of Odesa, Yuzhny/Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk. Since then, Russia has frequently attacked the port infrastructure of the three terminals, as well as other ports along the Danube. Direct attacks on ships had been very rare until September, and have since become increasingly common. The last fatality before these latest attacks on ships in the Black Sea dates back to Nov 2023, when a missile hit the 'KMax Ruler', killing the pilot on board. This recent escalation has raised international concern, as Russian attacks are not only targeting port infrastructure, but also merchant ships.

Beached at Aliaga 16.10.24

A worker from the food company Soubry was seriously injured in an accident aboard the 'Madison' in Roeselare on Oct 16, 2024. Just before 11 a.m., the man was working along the quay of the Roeselare-Leie Canal during cargo operations aboard the 'Madison'. When he was standing on a ladder in the cargo hold, it suddenly slid away. The man fell a few meters down and suffered several fractures. He had to be brought back to the ground floor with the help of the fire brigade, before he could be taken to the hospital by ambulance. The police of the Riho zone made the initial findings of the accident. The labour auditorate was conducting the further investigation into the circumstances of the accident, and whether all safety measures were followed. The Welfare at Work Supervision service was called in. Report with photos: https://www.hln.be/roeselare/arbeider-gewond-na-val-in-laadruimte-vrachtschip~abbea7b7/

The 'Yu Zhou Qi Hang' caused a container gantry crane collapses when entering Keelung Port, en route from Dalian, on Oct. 14, 2024, at around 2 p.m. The ship was delivering a new crane to the port. As it docked at pier 20 with tug assistance, the deck cargo accidentally struck an older onshore crane, causing it to toppleNo injuries were reported. One container was damaged. The local authorities started investigating the cause of the allision, and damage assessments were commenced. The new crane was intended to replace the old one, but the mishap has disrupted shipping operations at Piers 20 and 21. report with photo and video: https://www.porttechnology.org/news/container-crane-collapses-at-keelung-port/

Beached at Chittagong as Dead Vessel 15.10.24

arrived Alang Anchorage 16.10.24

After a massive fire broke out on two LPG carriers 'Captain Nikolas' and 'B-LPG Sophia', while they were transferring cargo off the coast of Bangladesh on Oct 13 at around 12:45 a.m., while the tankers were anchored near Kutubdia, Chattogram, the Chittagong Port Authority has formed a committee to investigate the accident. The committee’s report must be completed within one week. The Bangladesh Coast Guard and Navy had responded immediately, sending seven vessels to help extinguish the fire. The fire on board the 'Captain Nikolas' was brought under control at around 03.30 a.m. The fire on the 'B-LPG Sophia'Ä burned until 1230 p.m. Teams from Bangladesh’s Navy and Coastguard continued to monitor the vessel for the risk of a re-ignition. 31 people jumped into the water from both ships to escape the fire, but were safely rescued with no serious injuries reporded. Eight locally hired watchman who were on the 'Captain Nikolas' were among the rescued. Allegedly the cargo on the 'Captain Nikolas' was misdeclared and actually came from Iran, which is under sanctions, as per the LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB). Mohd Omar Faruk, Secretary of the Chittagong Port Authority, stated that the inspection of the 'Captain Nikolas' found no sign of illegal cargo and that the LPG was loaded in Dubai or Oman. The tanker was detained in Hunan in January due to fire protection issues on the cargo deck and was cited again in March for the same violations. Over the past nine months, it has been registered with Panama and Cook Islands before changing flag to Tanzania. Between Sep 9 and Sep18, ahead of the voyage to Bangladesh, the AIS transmissions were consistent with patterns of manipulation. The 'B-LPG Sophia' was found with 16 deficiencies, including to its emergency fire pumps and its pipes, during an inspection in Chittagong on Sep 6. Report with photo: https://maritime-executive.com/article/two-lpg-carriers-catch-fire-at-chittagong-during-sts-transfer