NEW MYKONOS

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Latest news

Bulkcarrier has sunk

The "New Mykonos", which ran aground on January 29 eight kilometers south of Faux Cap, at the southern tip of Madagascar, has finally sunk by May 13 with 160,000 tons of coal still in its holds. A portion of cargo was spilt into the sea. The ship had already broken into two parts at the beginning of April and is now almost completely submerged on a water depth of 25 meters. Only the tip of the wheelhouse and the smoke stack was still visible above the water. The ship, which had come from South Africa, was underway to Vizak when off Madagascar the stern hit a Sandbank at a water depth of 13 meters with a draught of 17 meters. The weight was preventing the bulker from moving, and the reinforced hull caused a leak. The response vessels "Mermaid Vanquish", "Raptor" and "Peridot" were chartered to respond, and were on scene as of early March, but salvage operations had to be stopped due to inclement weather and the extent of damage. The ship posed already a risk of marine pollution in March. 2500 tons of oil have already been pumped since. The Malagasy State put pressure on the owner of the "New Mykonos" and the ship's insurance company to accelerate the removal of products that may cause marine pollution. The operation could be done this winter, when weather conditions have become more favorable. French report with photo: http://www.lexpressmada.com/blog/actualites/faux-cap-un-gros-porteur-se-brise-en-deux-62402/

Salvors working to increase buoyancy

Salvage operations were progressing slowly aboard the "New Mykonos" off the Faux Cap. Technicians were currently in the process of implementing all the means to increase the buoyancy of the bulkcarrier which has still 160,000 tons of coal on board. 2 500 tonnes of fuel were already transferred onto a lighter tanker.

Bulkcarrier stuck since 19 days

The "New Mykonos" is stuck for 19 days off the southern tip of Madagascar, eight kilometers of coastline on a water depth of 17 meters. The violent impact broke the bow, causing signifiant water ingress. Coal dust, which escaped from the cracked hull, was threatening the wildlife sanctuary and marine life. Outdated charting may have contributed to the maritime disaster. The bulkcarrier had sailed from Richards Bay on Jan 26 and was heading to India when getting stuck on the sandbar three days into the crossing. The 2500 tons of diesel oil were transferred into another ship within four days. All the recovered product was routed to Malagasy territories on Mar 14. The salvage team was still busy with a refloating operation to tow the vessel with all its cargo off after the necessary repairs. French reports with photos: http://www.lexpressmada.com/blog/actualites/faux-cap-un-piege-sous-marin-coule-les-gros-porteurs-58435/ http://www.lexpressmada.com/blog/actualites/pollution-marine-a-faux-cap-du-charbon-de-terre-sechappe-dun-gros-porteur-57890/