MV Eurosun to be inspected prior to calling at Port

The Liberian flagged MV Eurosun (IMO: 9546227) a 33,000 Deadweight tonnage (DTW) bulk carrier en route from Abu Dhabi to Trincomalee, which ran aground in the vicinity of the Little Basses reef lighthouse 10 km off the southern coast, was dislodged yesterday and moved to a safer area under her own steam. The Sri Lanka Navy plans to inspect the vessel tomorrow for safety and damage prior to a decision being made on her movement to Port. A Sri Lanka Coast Guard vessel with a specialist team from MEPA are on site to monitor for and mitigate any leakage of oil from the vessel

By Asiri Fernando

The Liberian flagged MV Eurosun (IMO: 9546227) a 33,000 Deadweight tonnage (DTW) bulk carrier en route from Abu Dhabi to Trincomalee, which ran aground in the vicinity of the Little Basses reef lighthouse 10 km off the southern coast, was dislodged yesterday due to strong sea currents and moved to a safer area under her own steam.

The vessel which ran aground on Saturday (23) is presently anchored a safe distance away from the reef. The Navy dispatched a team of salvage divers aboard SLN Rathnadeepa, which had conducted an initial inspection of hull and found that a length of 70 metres from the bow was lodged in the reef and found no sign of the damage, said Navy Spokesman Capt. Indika De Silva. The vessel is carrying 33,000 ton of raw material used to manufacture cement.

Navy Spokesman Capt. Indika De Silva said the vessel’s 18-strong crew of 15 Filipino national and three Ethiopians were unharmed. Aircraft from the Air Force No.03 Maritime Patrol Squadron have been deployed to monitor the vessel and provide situational awareness of the responders on site.

The Navy plans to inspect the hull of the vessel again today (25) for any damage prior to issuing a safety certificate for the vessel to proceed to a port. 

A team of experts from the Marine Environmental Protection Agency (MEPA) arrived on site yesterday on board the Sri Lanka Coast Guard vessel Samaraksha to check for any potential leakage of fuel or oil from the vessel. No oil leaks were reported as of last evening.

The Coast Guard yesterday dispatched the vessel Samudraraksha with specialised oil spill containment equipment to the site. The tug Panudkabaya from the Hambantota International Port Group had also reached the site to render assistance if needed, the Navy said.      

The vessel will likely be moved to the Hambantota Port following the inspection by Navy divers this morning, Capt. De Silva told Daily FT.