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The bulk carrier Merchant Mariner suffered water ingress and developed listing approximately 15 nautical miles off Dung Quat Port in Vietnam on 18 September. Authorities have announced a plan to ensure the safety of the vessel.
Vessel MERCHANT MARINER, image credit: Takigawa Akihiko
The incident occurred on 18 September at 11:30 a.m.local time as the vessel was approaching Dung Quat Port with a cargo of around 174,614 tonnes of Malaysian iron ore. According to the Quang Ngai Port Authority and the Dung Quat Port Border Guard Station water ingress in three of the vessel's ballast tank No.4,5,6 of the port side, causing the vessel to develop listing of approximately 5 degree.
Upon receiving the distress call, Quang Ngai Maritime Port Authority coordinated with the border guards and other relevant agencies to ensure the safety of the vessel. Emergency services arrived on the scene and a tugboat was placed on standby.
The vessel mobilised all its equipment to maintain a stable condition despite the water ingress, and the valves of the fuel tanks were shut off to prevent possible pollution. The vessel is reported to still have around 3.3 tonnes of fuel oil and around 227 tonnes of diesel oil.
The extent of the damage to the bottom of the hull has not yet been ascertained. The vessel had a crew of 24, including 8 Greeks and 16 Filipinos and all are reported safe.
The Merchant Mariner is a Greek-flagged bulk carrier built in 2010. The vessel has a length of 292 metres, a beam of 45 metres, and a gross tonnage of 94,250.