KARACHI: A cargo ship has been stuck near Karachi’s Seaview Beach for the last two days, with the Karachi Port Trust reportedly having refused to free it.
According to details, the ship anchored at the port of Karachi sank directly on the shores of Clifton. If this had been an oil ship like the Tasman Spirit ship, a dangerous situation would have arisen.
According to the Karachi port administration, the ship’s anchor was broken so it came ashore, but experts say that in such a case, a mayday call is given.
According to experts, the port’s operations department is said to have failed to provide immediate assistance to the ship.
KPT sources told that the country’s largest port does not have the capacity to free ships out of shallow water, so the ships are likely to be stranded for a long time or be freed by a foreign salvage company for a hefty fee.
In a statement on Twitter, the KPT confirmed that the vessel is named Heng Tong 77. KPT said the ship was anchored at their territorial waters for a crew change.
“It never entered or sailed in the KPT Harbor. Due to extreme rough weather, the vessel lost anchors and started drifting towards shallow waters in the early hours of the morning,” the statement read.
By the time the vessel informed KPT of her drifting, it was already in shallow waters, KPT had said, clarifying that salvaging of the vessel is the responsibility of the shipowner.
“All consequential marine and environmental damages will be on account of the owner. Operational and technical assistance is available to the ship owner,” the statement ended.
