Damaged ship chartered by Vale in Maranhão will be monitored by Navy

The vessel MV Stellar Banner, chartered by Vale and owned and operated by South Korean shipowner Polaris is being monitored by the Brazilian Navy. The ship suffered a bow breakdown after leaving the Ponta da Madeira Terminal in São Luís (MA), when it was laden with iron ore.

The ship is stranded and partially submerged in a region close to the coast of Maranhão, according to the Navy. It has the flag of the Marshall Islands, a country in Oceania, and was destined for the city of Qingdao, in China.

The Brazilian Navy set up a Crisis Office in the Port Authority of Maranhão; in charge of the 4th Naval District, in Belém; and at the Naval Operations Command, in Rio de Janeiro. The office will deal with possible environmental damage arising from the ship’s stranding and the vessel’s stripping and withdrawal plans.

This Thursday (27/02), representatives of the companies involved, members of the Crisis Office and other supervisory bodies met to discuss the actions to deploy the vessel.

The merchant ship had a problem in the vicinity of buoy 1, in the channel of São Marcos Bay, in Maranhão, about 32 miles from Farol de Santana. “The incident occurred on the 24th, around 9:30 pm. Two leaks were identified ahead of the vessel. At the moment, the ship is stranded ”, said the Navy, in a note.

Vale, by means of a note, said the ship’s operator acknowledged that the vessel suffered damage to the bow after leaving the Ponta da Madeira Maritime Terminal, in São Luís, when it was already outside the port access channel. The note also says that, “as a precautionary measure, the 20 crew members were safely removed from the vessel and that the ship’s captain adopted a grounding maneuver about 100 kilometers off the coast of São Luís.”

Vale stressed that, as a port operator, “it is acting with technical-operational support, sending tugboats, and collaborating with maritime authorities.” The Navy initiated an administrative inquiry to investigate the causes, circumstances and responsibilities relating to the incident.

Source: Agência Brasil

Sharing is caring!