Salvage operations at the 'MSC Elsa 3' are due to be launched in August or when the weather conditions become favourable by Smit Salvage. The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), has submitted an action plan in this regard. They have not yet arrived in Kochi, but have informed the Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) on July 4, that they will arrive with all support facilities when the turbulence ends. Meanwhile, a team from the MSC shipping company was staying in Kochi. The captain and the crew members were also still staying in Kochi. The MMD principal officer, who is investigating the safety lapses behind the incident, has submitted an interim report to the DG Shipping and is waiting for the recovery of the voice data recorder to complete the probe. The MSC had decided to cancel the contract with the T&T Salvage as it lacked facilities for the operations and was seeking help from the Kochi port and the Coast Guard for the operations, which raised doubts that they were lacking the technical facility to conduct the salvage operations,
News
ZAHRAA
After on July 1 the "Admarine 12" overturned while being towed to a new site in the Gulf of Suez, near the Zeit Bay area, with 30 personnel on board at the time, three people remmained missing as of July 3. 23 workers have been rescued, four fatalities have been confirmed, The Egyptian authorities had launched immediate SAR efforts. Both the rig and its crew are fully insured, with no material financial impact anticipated on the company's earnings. A joint investigation was underway in collaboration with relevant authorities to identify the cause of the incident and enhance safety protocols for future operations.
MAGIC SEAS
The Houthi militants in Yemen issued a statement claiming that the 'Magic Seas' sank on July 7 in the Red Sea, less than 24 hours after it was attacked. They provided details on a coordinated and prolonged attack on the vessel as they promised to continue the blockade of all shipping associated with Israel. There is no independent confirmation of the sinking of the 'Magic Seas', but the Houthis claim to have audio and video of the sinking, which has not yet been released. In the past, the group has also prematurely claimed sinking ships. The vessel was managed by Allseas Marine of Greece. EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta issued a statement confirming the details of the evacuation of the crew 51 nautical miles southwest of Hudaydah. It had coordinated the rescue of the 22 crew from the vessel. They abandon ship into a life raft and were picked up by the passing containership 'Safeen Prism'. It coordinated with the Djibouti Coast Guard to ensure the crew’s disembarkation. The 22 seafarers included one Romanian, one Vietnamese, and 20 Filipino nationals. The Houthis claimed to have used two unmanned boats, five ballistic missiles, and three drones in a coordinated and prolonged attack on the Magic Seas. The armed guards aboard the vessel reported gunshots and rocket-propelled grenades in the first assault and had returned fire. The guards were able to destroy two of the explosive-laden drone boats. Atalanta confirmed there was a fire aboard the vessel, while the company told the UK Maritime Trade Operations that the vessel was taking on water when the crew abandoned ship.
CALEDONIAN ISLES
CalMac is trying to recover millions of pounds of repair costs for the 'Caledonian Isles', which has been sidelined from the Arran route since Jan 2024, The costs has already risen to nearly £11m. The ferry operator is now seeking compensation from the Cammell Laird Yard over problems discovered when the ship returned to Scotland in September, after the Merseyside firm carried out the first phase of work. The claim relates to deformation of the ship's hull, which has required months of remedial work. Cammell Laird has declined to comment. Action was under way to recover some of those repair costs following an investigation into the cause of the hull deformity. The problems began in January 2024 when annual maintenance inspections in Scotland revealed extensive steel corrosion. The ship was moved to the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead for a highly complex repair operation which required removal of the ship's engines. The work, said at the time to cost around £5m, was completed last September but when the ship sailed back to Scotland the crew noticed a gearbox problem and metal shards were discovered in a filter. Further investigation revealed that eight frames were deformed and that more steel replacement was required. CalMac engaged a naval architect to report on the root cause of the deformation, while more repairs were carried out in Greenock, by a different ship repair firm. The ferry was due to resume sailing from Ardrossan in June, but a new fault affecting its variable pitch propellers, essential for manoeuvring in harbour, was identified during sea trials, and the ship remained out of service.
ECO WIZARD
On the morning of July 6, 2025, an explosion with a subsequent ammonia leakage occurred at the Ust-Luga seaport during loading operations on the 'Eco Wizard'. The ship started taking on water and listed to port side. The terminal’s emergency services were working to contain the incident. The Transportation Ministry convened an emergency meeting at its Situational and Information Center, chaired by the Transport Minister Roman Starovoit. The port’s loading operations were suspended, and local authorities have placed nearby facilities on alert. The 23 crew members of the LNG tanker were evacuated, and the emergency services were planning a diving inspection of the vessel to determine the extent of the damage to the vessel’s hull and cargo systems. An underwater drone inspection revealed two breaches, each about 1 by 1.5 meters, near the engine room at depths of 6 and 7 meters, with metal bent inward, suggesting an external blast. The tanker had not been inspected upon docking due to poor weather conditions. The explosion occurred during ammonia loading, with 3,500 tons of cargo already onboard, prompting an immediate halt to operations. The tanker had arrived in the port, en route from Antwerp. The 'Eco Wizard' was suspected to belong to Russia’s shadow fleet. The cause of the explosion remained under investigation, with speculation ranging from a technical malfunction to possible sabotage. Report with photo: https://splash247.com/russia-downplays-ammonia-leak-in-wake-of-stealthgas-tanker-blast-at-ust-luga/