On September 20, Quang Ngai Maritime Port Authority coordinated with Quang Ngai Provincial Border Guard and functional agencies managing Dung Quat port to work online with the captain of the Merchant Mariner ship to deploy measures and plans to ensure safety in the process of handling the ship's incident.
According to information from Quang Ngai Maritime Port Authority and Dung Quat Port Border Guard Station (Quang Ngai Provincial Border Guard), at 11:30 am on September 18, the Merchant Mariner ship was transporting more than 174,000 tons of ore from Malaysia to Dung Quat when it detected water entering the water tanks on the left side number 4, 5, 6, causing the ship to tilt about 5 degrees. Water has not been detected entering the cargo holds.
At the time of discovering the incident, the ship was about 15 nautical miles from Dung Quat anchorage.
To ensure safety for crew members, vehicles, safety, maritime security, fire and explosion prevention, and environmental pollution prevention during the time the ship is anchored in the Dung Quat seaport waters, functional forces of Quang Ngai province request ship owners and captains to mobilize equipment on board to deploy incident response and maintain the ship in a stable state.
Ship owners and captains are required to close the valves of the fuel oil tank, take necessary measures to prevent the risk of environmental pollution; arrange towing vessels to be on duty 24/24 hours to support and ensure safety for ships during anchoring, ready to respond to oil spills, fire prevention and fighting.
Relevant units maintain communication and promptly report when there are abnormal developments or situations arising that affect maritime safety, maritime security and the environment. At the same time, coordinate to develop a plan to release goods on board in accordance with the actual situation, maritime safety conditions and rescue plans, ensuring safety for crew members and participating vehicles.
After receiving the incident report from the agent of the Merchant Mariner ship, Dung Quat Port Border Guard Station completed entry procedures for vehicles and crew members; licensed ship owners and survey units to access and assess the incident; deployed forces to monitor developments and ensure security and safety in the area.
The Merchant Mariner ship has a tonnage of 179,570 tons, a length of 291.9 m, with 22 crew members from Greece and the Philippines, captained by Mr. Chondros Charilaos, Greek nationality. Currently, there are more than 3 tons of FO oil and 227 tons of DO oil on board.
