- Rescue Teams Battle Weather to Stabilize Stranded Vessel.
- Environmental Concerns Rise as Fuel Threatens Fragile Ecosystem.
- Efforts are underway to Salvage the Flooded Cargo Ship Off Quseir.
A cargo ship began sinking on Monday off the coral reefs of Quseir in Egypt’s Red Sea Governorate after it had run aground 10 days ago. The crew, 21 strong, had to evacuate because a 60-centimeter (23.6-inch) hole had appeared in its hull, allowing seawater to enter the engine room. There were 4,000 metric tons of bran in the cargo, plus 70 tons of fuel oil and 50 tons of diesel, reports Safety4Sea.
Salvage Efforts continue
Rescue operations by the Red Sea Governorate and the Ministry of Environment are underway to stabilize the ship and try to minimize the environmental damage. Emergency teams have so far removed 250 tons of contaminated water and fuel; more, however, remains on board, threatening this very sensitive coral reef ecosystem. So far, attempts to siphon off the water have slowed because the weather has worsened and tilted the vessel even more.
Environmental Hazards
Due to the presence of fuel oil and diesel on board, the delicate coral reefs of the Red Sea are at risk of pollution. Salvage teams are working to control the environmental impact, deploying extra pumps to manage the increasing water levels inside the ship.
Recent Maritime Disasters in the Region
This maritime disaster follows yet another such incident in the Red Sea just weeks before. A tourist boat capsized on November 25 off Marsa Alam, south of Quseir, resulting in at least four deaths and seven people missing. Thirty-three people were rescued from this incident.
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Source: Safety4Sea
