The underwater salvage operation was due to start on June 9. The diving support vessel 'Seamac III' with ROVs and decompression systems was set up for the task. A team of 12 divers will also assist. The offshore support vessels 'Nand Saarthi' and 'Offshore Warrior' remained on site and were engaged in the removal and dispersal of light oil sheen observed on the surface of the water The.pollution response vessel 'Samudra Prahari' continued to monitor the situation. The ETV 'Water Lily' has been conducting a multibeam seabed survey at the location since June 5. divers will identify and cap the openings of the ship’s fuel oil tanks to prevent further seepage. The oil removal through the hot tapping method will follow in the second stage, targeted for completion on July 3, depending on the weather. Container recovery efforts along the shoreline, led by Marine Emergency Response Centre (MERC), Gujarat, continued. Of the 61 containers washed ashore, 51 have been recovered and transported to port. Salvage operations for the remaining 10 containers, some of which were partially submerged, were ongoing. None of the containers contained hazardous materials. The cleanup of plastic nurdles strewn along the Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari coasts was progressing as well. Reports with photos: https://maritime-executive.com/article/salvage-divers-head-for-msc-elsa-3-as-india-collects-evidence https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2025/06/09/msc-elsa-3-shipwreck-press-release-directorate-of-shipping.html
News
CUAUHTEMOC BE 01
The 'Cuauhtémoc' has formally begun its repair phase at the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard. Since the weekend of June 8/9, security personnel from the GMD company, which manages the shipyard, have confirmed the start of work. Access to the area remains restricted to the public. The repairs could take one to two months, depending on the extent of the ship's internal damage. The Mexican government will assume all costs, including the occupation of the shipyard and the necessary repair work. The manoever to move the vessel from Pier 36 in Manhattan to the Brooklyn shipyard took three weeks of preparation and sought to prevent any additional incidents, working closely with the ship's captain and crew, marine inspectors, and experts in tall ships to ensure a safe operation. The move on June 6 was supervised by two helicopters that monitored the operation from 7:00 a.m. The transfer lasted approximately 75 minutes, during which ferry operations on the East River were suspended to ensure safety. In parallel with the repairs, the investigation into the causes of the May 17 accident remains active. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will coordinate additional oversight at the shipyard. The NTSB has reported that the investigation was progressing. The causes of the apparent mechanical failure that prevented the ship from reversing the inertia of the tide and wind, leading it to allide with the bridge, were being analyzed. The manner in which the ship was maneuvered by both the pilots and the New York Harbor pilot, as well as by personnel from the Navy, is also being investigated. Additionally, the assistance operations the vessel should have received from the company operating the only tug that assisted it at the time of the incident are being reviewed. The NTSB is expected to hold another press conference in approximately a week and a half to present a preliminary report on the causes of the accident. However, the full investigation and final recommendations were expected in approximately one year. Report with photo: https://www.meganoticias.mx/index.php/tuxpan/noticia/inicia-reparacion-del-buque-cuauhtemoc/630906
Galveston
The US Coast Guard medevaced a crewmember from a 600-foot tanker at anchorage approximately 15 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas, on April 19, 2020. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a report of a 58-year-old man reportedly experiencing symptoms of an upper respiratory illness. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon as well as local CDC and county health partners who recommended the medevac. Watchstanders launched a Coast Guard Station Galveston 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew. The RB-M boat crew transferred the patient to awaiting emergency medical services personnel at Station Galveston who transported him to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
Turku
On March 31, 2020, around 9 a.m. a fire broke out aboard the new built Panama flagged cruise ship 'Mardi Gras', 183200 gt (9837444), which is currently built at the Åbovarvet Meyer Turku. The fire occurred in a cabin on the upper deck, and fire crews managed to limit the fire to one cabin. In total, 18 fire brigade units were sent from the rescue service to the shipyard, but the fire could quickly be extinguished by the shipyard's own fire department. However, the ship must be checked to make sure there were no remaining hot spots. All workers were evacuated from the ship, but no one was injured in the fire. The cause of the fire was still unclear.
MALASPINA SKY
Ferry sailings on the Sunshine Coast were delayed on June 6, 2025,after a pickup truck with bad brakes crashed into a ramp on the 'Malaspina Sky' in Powell River. Police were called at about 7:30 a.m. The Dodge pickup was badly damaged as it hit the galley ramp during the loading process. Evidence suggested that the truck had a malfunctioning brake system,. A 66-year-old man driving the Dodge was fined with $552 for improper brake performance, Nobody was injured during the incident, but several sailings were delayed as the vehicle was removed and the ferry was inspected to make sure it was structurally sound. Report with photo: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/pickup-truck-with-bad-brakes-crashes-on-bc-ferries-vessel-in-powell-river/ar-AA1GjPOC
WAN HAI 503
On June 9 the 'Wan Hai 5033' was ablaze allmost on its whole length, after the fire continued to rage overnight, about 130 nautical miles northwest of the Kerala coast. Fresh explosions and flames were reported from amidships to the container bay just forward of the accommodation block. The Indian Coastguard deployed a Dornier aircraft on the morning of June 10 to conduct an aerial survey of the incident site. The firefighting efforts along with boundary cooling operations were continued with the patrol vessels ' Samudra Prahari' and 'Sachet'. Fears were rising over the hazardous cargo and a possible oil spill by the 100 tons bunker fuel in the tanks. The ICG 'Samarth' set to sail on the morning of June 10, carrying a salvage master to the location of the incident. from Kochi. A team of the Maritime and Port Authority Singapore was also mobilzed to assist the response. The Indian Coast Guard said that the forward-bay fire was under control, though thick smoke was still emanating from the vessel, which is now listing approximately 10–15° to port side. More containers have fallen overboard. Containers and debris were expected to drift south-southeastwards during the coming three days. The 18 crew members were taken to Mangalore aboard a Coast Guard ship. The castaways were disembarked at Mangalore Port on June 9 at 11.30 p m., some helped by fellow crewmates, others in stretchers, Five of them had previously been medically treated on board. The injured were taken to the AJ Hospital in Kuntikana, Mangaluru, A dozen more were treated for pyschological trauma. Reports with photos and video: https://www.worldcargonews.com/news/2025/06/update-wan-hai-503-lists-as-fires-explosions-persist/ https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/back-to-back-ship-accidents-off-kerala-coast-raise-alarms-over-safety-environmental-concerns-k2axk4qw https://x.com/i/status/1932315064893395042
Guam
One crew member of the USS 'Theodore Roosevelt' which was being anchored off Guam has died of a corona virus infection on April 14, 2020. The woman had been in intensive care but died of health complications. More than 550 crew members of the 5.000 crew members were tested positive. The ship has been largely evacuated during the recent days. Commander Brett Crozier had been fired as he wrote a letter expressing his concern about the crew situation and asked for help by the Navy.
Cape Town
A 52-year old Cape Town truck driver was killed on March 20, 2020, when the spreader from a Transnet Port Terminal crane collapsed and crushed his truck cab inside the container terminal. The accident occurred around 11h00 on Friday morning when the truck arrived to collect a container at the TPT terminal. The reach stacker crane passed over the truck when the spreader bar was dislodged and fell onto the cab of the truck. The reason why the spreader fell was not clear but one witness claimed that the crane involved in the accident had been receiving attention from a technician shortly beforehand. Immediately following the accident the crane operator attempted to hoist the spreader off the truck but was unsuccessful. The driver of the truck was trapped in his cab and died at the scene despite the efforts of Transnet paramedics who were quickly on the scene. Following the accident the South African Police Services opened an inquest docket for further investigation. Operations remained suspended for some hours until all regulatory authorities currently onsite, concluded their assessments. The maintenance of the Kalmar equipment at the port was recently taken over by Transnet.
HON JAMES L OBERSTAR
The U.S. Coast Guard carried out an investigation after the 'Honorable James L. Oberstar' reported vibrations while underway east of Neebish Island on the afternoon. of June 8, 2025. The Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes dispatched a boat crew from the Station Sault Ste. Marie after being notified at 3:50 p.m. It carried out an investigation, which indicated there were currently no signs of pollution. The vessel was carrying limestone at the time of the incident and reported there were no injuries on board. The vessel dropped anchor in the Hay Lake, Michigan. The Army Corps of Engineers conducted a survey of the channel and verified it was safe for commercial marine traffic. The St. Mary’s River remained open to vessel traffic.
WAN HAI 503
Four crew members, one Taiwanese two Indonesians, and one from Myanmar went missing after explosions and a subsequent fire aboard the 'Wan Hai 503', en route from Colombo to Nhava Dheva, in the Laccadive Sea on June 9, 2025, at about 12.30 p.m. (9.20 a.m. IST), while the vessel was about 44 nautical miles southwest of Azhikkal town in Kerala in the Kannur district of Kerala and 130 nautical miles northwest of Kochi. There were 22 crew members aboard, 18 of whom abandoned the ship, 10 on rescue boats and eight in a liferaft. Between 20 and 50 containers fell into the Arabian Sea, several more were destroyed. The Indian Coast Guard and Navy were providing assistance to the crew, as well as conducting SAR operations for those missing. Five crew members were injured, two of whom suffered severe burns. Multiple Indian Coast Guard assets including the patrol vessels 'Rajdoot', 'Arnvesh' and 'Sachet', were diverted from their current duties to support the emergency response. Additionally, a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft was deployed to assess the situation on scene. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has issued a marine advisory following the accident off the Kozhikode coast. The advisory warned of the risk of drifting containers and a potential oil spill in the area. Responding swiftly to the maritime emergency, INCOIS activated its Search and Rescue Aid Tool (SARAT) — a sophisticated system that tracks the probable drift paths of containers, debris, or persons at sea using real-time and forecasted oceanographic and meteorological data. Given the looming risk of an oil spill from the damaged vessel, INCOIS also deployed its Oil Spill Trajectory System, which simulates the movement and spread of oil in marine environments. Reports with photos and video: https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/singapore-flagged-container-ship-mv-wan-hai-503-catches-fire-indian-navy-rescues-18-four-remain-missing20250609222244/ https://www.dw.com/en/high-seas-rescue-crew-abandon-flaming-cargo-ship-off-india/a-72842715 https://thesouthfirst.com/kerala/incois-issues-drift-and-oil-spill-advisory-after-fire-aboard-container-ship-off-kerala-coast/ https://x.com/i/status/1932315064893395042
Turku
On March 31, 2020, around 9 a.m. a fire broke out aboard the new built Panama flagged cruise ship 'Mardi Gras', 183200 gt (9837444), which is currently built at the Meyer yard in Turku. The fire occurred in a cabin on the upper deck, and fire crews managed to limit the fire to one cabin. In total, 18 fire brigade units were sent from the rescue service to the shipyard, but the fire could quickly be extinguished by the shipyard's own fire department. However, the ship must be checked to make sure there were no remaining hot spots. All workers were evacuated from the ship, but no one was injured in the fire. The cause of the fire was still unclear.
Kiel
The Port of Kiel commissioned Siemens to build Germany’s largest shore power system to date. With a power of 16 megavolt amperes (MVA), the Siharbor solution will supply two ships simultaneously with certified eco-power, for the first time. This will reduce annual CO2 emissions by more than 8,000 tons. The system is expected to go into test operation within the 2020 cruise ship season. Maritime shipping plays a special role in Kiel. The port is the point of departure for cruises and has ferry connections to the Baltic states and Scandinavia. 32 different cruise ships stopped in 174 times at the port facilities in 2018. The Siemens installation consists of one substation with four Geafol cast resin transformers, four airinsulated medium-voltage Nxair switchgears as well as one 16-MVA frequency converter. The cast resin transformers with a rated power of six and 16 MVA are especially suited for challenging environmental conditions, such as the salty air present at the port. The switchgear is robust and has a compact design, making it suitable for this application. For an uninterrupted and efficient power supply of the mooring ships the Siemens converter system “Siplink” is used. It features a frequency converter and a software for central controlling of the two berths. With the system, two medium-voltage networks with different frequencies can be connected. In this case the local distribution grid with 50 Hz and the ship’s onboard electrical system with 60 Hz. Siplink synchronizes both networks and takes over the power supply automatically within a few minutes. In addition, it coordinates the energy supply of the ships’ two networks so that power can be supplied to both simultaneously. “With this set up, we are able for the first time to supply two ships simultaneously with the necessary 60-Hz onboard frequency by means of one shore power system,” said Axel Mohr, head of sales for Distribution Systems, Region North, at Siemens Smart Infrastructure. “We’re excited to support the Port of Kiel with this sustainable solution, thereby taking on a leading role in Europe together. Such systems will become increasingly important in the future, also outside of Germany, as climate protection goals are implemented. With its “Master Plan for 100% Climate Protection”, the City of Kiel has an ambitious roadmap to be CO2-neutral by 2050. The new shore power system at the Port of Kiel aims to support this goal with the reduction in CO2 emissions it will bring. The shoreside power supply installed by Siemens in the spring of 2019 at the Norwegenkai has already started operations. To date, it has helped slash CO2 emissions by about 1,000 tons.