IN ITS 16th update since the casualty, Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) said yesterday that the forward section of the ill-fated 8,100 teu boxship MOL Comfort was “stable under tow”, heading in a west-northwest direction and with most of its containers still on board.
However, the extremely difficult salvage operation is being hampered by continued adverse weather in the area and the latitude and longitude location updates confirm that the forward section of the boxship is making slow progress as it heads to a port of refuge said to be in Oman.
IN ITS 16th update since the casualty, Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) said yesterday that the forward section of the ill-fated 8,100 teu boxship MOL Comfort was “stable under tow”, heading in a west-northwest direction and with most of its containers still on board.
However, the extremely difficult salvage operation is being hampered by continued adverse weather in the area and the latitude and longitude location updates confirm that the forward section of the boxship is making slow progress as it heads to a port of refuge said to be in Oman.
MOL Comfort inexplicably split in two on June 17 off the coast of Yemen as it sailed to Europe from Asia. The ship’s stern section eventually sank at 1148 hrs local time on June 27 when hatch seven was breached.
Many of the 1,700 boxes stowed on deck were spewed into the sea, the remainder sinking along with the ship.
As the investigation into the cause of the catastrophic structural failure continues, MOL is phasing out of service six sister ships for dry-docking to carry out precautionary strengthening of their hull sections.
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