Salvage operation begins to pull cargo vessel stuck at Karachi beach

KARACHI: The salvage operation of a cargo vessel grounded at Karachi’s Seaview beach resumed on Monday morning, ARY News reported.

“Two tug boats, an operational boat and a crane barge participating in the operation to pull the grounded vessel,” sources said. “A standby tug boat also taking part in the operation”.

The salvage operation of a cargo vessel stuck at Karachi’s beach on Sunday got its initial success after a crane barge which was also grounded at the beach was re-floated.

The crane barge deployed for the salvage operation of the cargo motor vessel (MV) Heng Tong 77.

The rescuers pulled the grounded crane barge yesterday during high tidal waves in the sea.

“The salvage operation to pull and re-float the grounded vessel will resume during next four days of high tidal waves”, sources related to the operation yesterday said.

Scores of earlier efforts to pull the vessel stuck at the beach have failed so far.

The 98 metres in length and 20 metres wide vessel MV Heng Tong 77, with a capacity of 3,600 deadweight tonnage, was said to be waiting for a crew change outside the Karachi harbour while on its way to Turkey from China when tidal waves caused it to lose its anchors and start drifting towards the shore.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs had declared MV Heng Tong 77 unseaworthy and decided to seize the vessel under the regulations of Merchant Ordinance 2001. The captain of the cargo vessel was formally informed about the decision.

In its letter, the concerned authorities wrote to the cargo ship’s captain that the navigation and machinery system of the vessel was not working. It added that the unseaworthy cargo ship was dangerous to the human lives and assets.