The 'Sada Maru No. 38' was in collision with a yacht on Aug 13, 2025, at 8.15 a.m., about two kilometers northeast of Hodojima Island, Tsukumi City, Oita Prefecture. The captain of the vessel has been arrested by the Japanese authorities after the fatal accident. The aggregate carrier transporting gravel struck the yacht amid poor visibility. The captain of the vessel notified the Japanese Coast Guard, stating that the yacht had disappeared and was believed to have sunk. The Coast Guard responded with six patrol boats and one airplane in an SAR operation. Around 10 a.m., the body of a 70-year-old man was recovered. He was reported to be in cardiac arrest and pronounced deceased at a hospital. After identifying the deceased person as Dr. Makoto Yamamoto, age 70, they were able to interview witnesses and determined that he was alone on the boat. Captain Yuki Mochizuki, age 28, was suspected of failing to take proper precautions. The Oita Coast Guard did not believe the 'Sada Maru No. 38' had slowed or stopped after the incident. The four other crew members aboard the vessel were interviewed to investigate the cause of the accident further. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzVrcT5LYBw
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MSC ZOE
Six years after the 'MSC Zoe' accident, a group of volunteer divers in the Netherlands continues the arduous task of recovering debris from the bottom of the North Sea. The ship had lostf hundreds of containers carrying car parts, televisions, light bulbs, furniture, and toys. Despite initial efforts to clean up the area, debris still litters the seabed of the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO-protected area that stretches along the coasts of the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark. Divers have been recovering various objects from the seabed, from nets to electrical cables, possibly from the 'MSC Zoe'. The spill also released hydrogen peroxide, a toxic and highly flammable chemical used in the manufacture of plastics. The CleanUpXL initiative was launched in 2021 by four environmental organizations and operates with the support of rescue vessels and divers. It has set out to clean up the 800 tons of debris still lying on the seabed. Although the Dutch government led much of the initial cleanup effort, it has slowed in recent years. The task became more complicated because only objects traceable to the 'MSC Zoe' could be removed. In April 2024, the government published a confidential list revealing 6,000 locations where remains and debris could still be found.
NORWEGIAN STAR
A 79-year-old man has died after falling overboard from the 'Norwegian Star' off the coast of Canada on the early morning of Aug 12, 2025. Guests onboard the ship reported hearing the ship's public address system announcing 'Code Oscar' which lets staff on the vessel know that someone has gone overboard. The ship changed course at 3.53 a.m. LT as rescue missions began. The search and rescue team covered roughly three nautical miles during the 29 minute search and recovered the body of the man, who had already passed away and was pronounced dead at the scene. The ship then rediverted to its next port in Nuuk, where it arrived on Aug 14. The incident took place on day six of a two week, one-way cruise from New York to Reykjavik, having departed from Corner Brook on Aug 11.
NORDSTJERNEN
On Aug 19, 2025, at 6:45 p.m.,the "Nordstjernen" ran aground on the Warnow embankment when moving astern from berth 8 in Warnemünde into the fairway. Due to a technical malfunction, the engine did not respond when trying to move forward, and as a result, the ship struck the embankment on the opposite river bank, at buoy 24. Since the "Nordstjernen" was subsequently regained the ability to move forwar, it approached the nearest berth 7 under its own power. The Ship Safety Department issued a sailing ban. Initial investigations revealed that a malfunction in the pneumatic control of the controllable-pitch propeller was the cause of thefailure. With the approval of the Maritime Transport Authority, the "Nordstjernen" was towed to berth 46 in Rostock's overseas port on Aug 20 at 1:30 a.m. by the tug 'Fairplay 55' (IMO: 9021124). The extent of the damage to the vessel has not yet been quantified; the investigation was ongoing.
CIUDAD DE SOLLER
A fire broke out in an auxiliary engine on Aug 18, 2025, in the engine room of the "Ciudad de Sóller" on its voyage between Palma and València. There were no crew members in the engine room at the time of the incident. Eight fire fighters boarded the ship at the Terminal Transmediterránea. The Port's Special Emergency Plan (PEE) was activated by the Emergency Coordination Center of the Valencian Government. The fire was quickly extinguished, and the damage could be limited to the affected engine area. The vessel, however, was banned from sailing at the berth in the port of València, awaiting inspections to determine the extent of the incident and its return to service. There were no personal injuries reported, Both passengers and cargo from last night's Palma-bound ferry have been relocated to other vessels serving the València-Palma route. Meanwhile, the ferry "Ciudad de Barcelona," which last night served on the Valencia-Ibiza-Palma route, operated the reverse route on the Palma-Ibiza-València route, seeking to minimize the inconvenience caused by the incident on the "Ciudad de Sóller." Report with photo: https://www.europapress.es/comunitat-valenciana/noticia-extinguen-incendio-sala-maquinas-buque-puerto-valencia-20250818192841.html