On Friday, Maersk’s Container ship reportedly went adrift near the Aleutian Islands. It was safely towed to the Harbour on Saturday.
What happened?
The 872-foot container ship named “Laura Maersk” went adrift north of Akutan in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands on Friday night.
The vessel was left incapacitated after it suffered an engine room fire. The ship was loaded with 51,500 gallons of fuel oil and other petroleum products.
Coast Guard guide ship to safety:
The Alaskan Coast Guard and Environment officials were intimated about the ship’s critical condition. The ship reportedly remained adrift about 7 miles north of Akutan Island at 8 p.m. Friday.
Risk of hitting the shore:
The vessel was at the risk of drifting towards the Island and was estimated to be 4 hours away from colliding with the Akutan shoreline.
Tugged to safety:
The available tugboats were contracted for immediate assistance and tugged the vessel safely towards the Dutch harbour.
Meredith Manning, Petty Officer 2nd Class said, “As of Saturday morning, the ship had been safely towed to Dutch Harbor”.
Investigation initiated:
Fortunately during the fire, none of the 24 crew members aboard were injured.
The Coast Guard have initiated investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
The vessel is docked in the Dutch Harbour for further repairs until it is ready to set sail.
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Source: Alaska Dispatch News
