On November 2, Dung Quat Port Border Guard Station said that in the Dung Quat port area, a Korean transport ship had just ran aground while waiting to enter the port.
The ship, called STAR BUENO, is over 291m long and 45m wide, operated by Bongcayao captain Robert Uy (Philippine nationality), carrying over 174.7 thousand tons of iron ore from South Africa to Dung Quat port, with 22 crew members on board.
According to the report, at around 6:00 p.m. on October 25, while anchored in the Dung Quat sea area waiting for instructions to dock, the ship's duty officers discovered that the left anchorage mine had drifted. Due to strong winds and large waves, about 40 minutes later, the ship lost mobility and ran aground at coordinates 15°28N - 108°46E.
At 8:00 a.m. on October 29, the boat floated again. However, the captain confirmed that the tonsils 1, 5 and 7 were encroached by water. The crew used a mobile pump to pump water out to ensure the safety of the ship.
Currently, the Dung Quat sea area has winds of level 5 - 6, gusts of level 7, waves 2 - 3m high. The STAR BUENO ship contained a large amount of cargo and was severely damaged, so there was a risk of sinking and oil spills, causing pollution of the marine environment if the incident went bad.
In that situation, Dung Quat Port Border Guard Station coordinated with competent authorities to grant licenses to 3 mobile specialized vehicles to the scene to support water pumping, control the safety of ships and crew. Forces continue to closely monitor the weather, proactively plan rescue, and promptly handle if situations arise.
On the afternoon of November 2, speaking with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Le Van Luong - Director of Quang Ngai Maritime Port Authority said that the ship owner had assigned a foreign unit and a unit in Ho Chi Minh City to plan to move the ship to Ho Chinh Minh City. The ship is not at risk of oil spills, and all crew members on board are also safe. "However, we are also fully prepared with equipment to respond if an oil spill occurs," said Mr. Luong.
