- 15 bodies recovered after ferry capsises in Zimbabwe
Fifteen bodies have been recovered from a lake in Zimbabwe after a passenger ferry capsised, with about 27 people, including young children, still missing, local media reported.
Police said the boat, carrying 90 passengers and five crew members, capsised on Lake Kariba on Tuesday but did not give a death toll or disclose the number rescued.
Local media, however, quoted an official as saying 114 tickets had been issued for the ferry’s journey, suggesting that more people might have been on board.
- One killed after ferry catches fire in Indonesia’s Lombok Strait
A fatal fire broke out aboard the Indonesian-flagged Ro-Ro/Passenger Ship Putri Yasmin with passengers on board in Lombok Strait, Indonesia, on 12 August. One person was reported dead, and 172 others were rescued by Indonesian authorities.
The fire was reported at approximately 4:39 am local time while the Putri Yasmin was sailing from Padangbai port in Bali to Lembar port in Lombok.
The incident prompted a large-scale rescue operation involving 200 personnel by Indonesian authorities. Multiple boats were also deployed to evacuate the passengers. One person was confirmed dead, while 172 people were evacuated, with the search continuing for any other missing passengers. The rescued passengers were transported to ports in Bali and Lombok.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Authorities have yet to establish the exact number of people onboard and whether overcrowding contributed to the incident.
- Bulk carrier crew member injured during repairs at Indian Port
A seafarer was injured after being exposed to hot gases aboard the vessel IOL Sapphire while it was undergoing repairs in Kollam Port, India.
The incident occurred at around 1:20 pm local time on 12 August during repair work. The seafarer was identified as the third engineer who suffered burn injuries on face and abdomen after being exposed to hot gases from an air vent on deck. Coastal Police patrol vessels promptly arrived on the scene and the seafarer was rushed to hospital.
The St Kitts and Nevis-flagged IOL Sapphire had departed from Kakinada Port, India, bound for Guinea in Africa when it developed faults in two of its generators. The vessel then anchored at Kollam Port on 23 June for repairs. The accident occurred while the repair work was under way.
- Containership crashes into riverbank on the Hooghly River amid inclement weather
The container vessel Nawata Bhum has crashed into a riverbank near Diamond Harbour in West Bengal amid turbulent conditions on 12 August. Fortunately, there were no injuries, though the embankment it struck was damaged.
The vessel had departed Port Klang in Malaysia loaded with 483 containers and was headed to the Port of Kolkata. It failed to recover from a bend in the river at Diamond Harbour after sailing approximately 50 kilometres from the port.
The vessel’s failure to turn is primarily attributed to strong currents and turbulent conditions in the region at the time. It is also suspected that the vessel lost steering ability after its steering gear jammed before it smashed into the riverbank.
The ship’s master reportedly sounded the horn repeatedly to warn onlookers and any ferries that might have been in its path as it headed for a collision. Fortunately, no ferries were in the way.
