Peruvian dockers in privatisation strike

Transcription

Lloyd’s Casualty Week contains information from worldwide sources
of Marine, Non-Marine and Aviation casualties together with other reports
relevant to the shipping, transport and insurance communities
Jun 23 2006
Peruvian dockers in
privatisation strike
Callao box terminal sell-off sparks indefinite walkout at country ’s ports,
writes Rainbow Nelson — Wednesday June 21 2006
P
ERUVIAN dockers have started an
indefinite strike in response to
government eff o rts to privatise
container operations in the country ’s
largest port, Callao.
Workers of the Fentenapu union walked
out in ports such as Chimbote and Paita as
well as Callao on Monday following the
award of a concession to the Dubai Ports
World consortium, Consorcio Te r m i n a l
Internacional de Contenedores.
Four port specialists including DP World
and the world number one container terminal
specialist Hutchison Port Holdings lodged
their bids at the end of last week.
Fentenapu has bitterly opposed the plan,
which will see a concession awarded to build
and operate a container terminal in the
Muelle Sur (South Dock) area of Callao.
Under the plan, 8.3 ha of the port will be
transferred into private sector hands and twothirds of volumes currently handled by the
public sector port operator Enapu will move
to the new state-of-the-art facility.
DP Wo r l d ’s Consorcio Te r m i n a l
Internacional de Contenedores beat off
competition from Hutchison Port Holdings,
ICTSI and a joint Spanish-Peruvian
consortium of Dragados and Ransa for the
30-year concession.
APM Terminals, SSA Marine and a
Peruvian operator, MTC Puertos de Peru, did
not bid. SSA Marine and APM Te r m i n a l s
were reportedly put off by maximum tariff
restrictions of $119 per teu and $178 per feu.
While the unions have opposed the longrunning privatisation, shippers and Peru’s
leading port group have welcomed the
process.
“ With the process underway, the only
thing left is for the government to reach an
agreement with the workers of Fentenapu
with respect to the opposition of the transfer
of 8.3 ha of Enapu to the winning bidder.
“The South Dock needs the area to make
its operation even more efficient,” said the
Association of Peruvian Port Operators.
It argues that planned improvements will
bring about a 50% reduction in tariffs, reduce
congestion by 45% and provide large savings
to shippers with the arrival of gantry cranes
and new berths able to receive 4,000 teu
ships.
In the first phase the new terminal will
have a capacity of 600,000 teu requiring up to
four ship-to-shore gantry cranes and rubbertyred gantry equipment. Total investment in
the terminal, which when fully developed
will have a size of 21.5 ha, is expected to
reach $357.5m.
Consorcio Terminal Internacional de
Contenedores has committed to develop the
facility in three years. Existing operator
Enapu will continue to manage a public berth
handling the remainder of the port’s cargo.
In the long-run, volumes are set to grow
from current levels of 900,000 teu to 1.3m
teu on the back of improvements and ongoing
economic growth in Peru. Political problems
in the country have not affected its economic
growth, with one of the most stable and fastgrowing economies in the region.
Prompt Paradip prevents oil slick
SWIFT action by Paradip Port Trust has saved large swathes of India’s eastern coastline from
a potentially devastating oil slick, in a case that has highlighted the importance of places of
refuge.
The 30-year-old Indonesian vessel Tirta Niaga 1was set to discharge 5,900 tonnes of crude palm
oil at the Budge Budge oil jetty of the Kolkata Dock System.
However, it developed serious engine and technical problems, and was refused entry by the
Kolkata Port Trust.
The vessel changed its course from Sandheads at the mouth of the Hooghly river, and
proceeded towards Paradip port.
By the time the ship reached Paradip its condition had worsened considerably, it was listing
dangerously to port and there was an imminent danger of oil leaking from it.
The Paradip port authorities swung into action, brought the ship inside the dock, had it
berthed at the multipurpose jetty and made arrangements to unload the cargo.
Only after the cargo was unloaded could the ship be propped up, making it possible to
undertake repairs.
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Summary of Major Cases in this week’s issue of Lloyd’s Casualty Week
Vessel
Type
Flag
BUSAN
EXPRESS
container
KOR
CHILEAN
REEFER
refrig
CONSING
GRAND LUCKY
Class
GT
DWT
Blt
Casualty
KR
3,671
4,385
1988
In collision with Jangho Grace in lat 32 35.36N,
long 128 48.18E, Jun 1. Proceeded to Kanmon
under own power.
DIS
BV
7,944
11,095
1992
Taken in tow of tug Toto, Jun 14, due
turbo-charger problems. ETA Durban Jun 15.
landing
craft
PHL
—
489
—
1982
Sank while berthed at Sitio Agusuhin, in
Barangay Cawag, Subic Bay, Jun 10. 400 litres
fuel oil spilled. Clean-up under way.
general
KHM
—
497
1,210
1982
Grounded in lat 32 35.6N, long 128 48.3E,
Jun 8. Damaged to engine-room. Oil spill
observed. All crew rescued.
GULFSTREAM II passenger CAN
—
163
—
1943
Had fire in accommodation in lat 49 20N, long
123 09W. en route in Vancouver harbour,
Jun 11. Fire extinguished by crew and Coast
Guard firefighting boats. Towed back to berth.
OCEAN D.
bulker
MLT
ABS
16,465
26,780
1977
Reported Jun 12 in lat 12 17N, long 46 39E,
with fire in engine-room. Three generators
not working, no power and drifting. MSC
Namibia on scene and HMS Bulwark
proceeding. Under tow of tug Wadi Hateeb,
Jun 14 bound Aden.
SARASWATI
bulker
IDN
NK
20,643
27,547
1986
Grounded in the Sunda Strait Jun 9. Damage to
ballast tanks 3 and 4 starboard. Towed to
Suralaya Jun 12 to discharge cargo. Towed to
Merak Jun 13 for repairs.
SETSUYO STAR
bulker
BHS
BV
88,921
170,808
1985
Reported Jun 13 in False Bay, Cape Town, with
water ingress into No.1 compartment and
cracks in shell plating. Probably to be repaired
where is, which will take several weeks.
chem/oil MLT
tanker
RS
10,321
15,441
1999
In collision with chemical tanker Willy in lat 50
30N, long 00 13W, Jun 9. Sustained bow
damage and proceeding to Portland. Passed
Brunsbuttel Jun 12 bound Tallinn.
SHAKHDAG
SUPERFERRY II
ro-ro
GRC
HR
4,986
1,472
1974
Sustained damage to turbocharger while
departing Andros Jun 12. Arrived Rafina
same day where departure prohibited until
repairs/inspection.
VITAFOS
bulker
PAN
KR
35,378
61,970
1981
In contact with a land-building, while leaving
Bremen industrial port Jun 14. Presently lying
at Osterort for repairs to two damaged frames.
WILLY
chem
tanker
GIB
GL
4,973
7,415
2003
In collision with Shakhdag in lat 50 30N, long
00 13W, Jun 9. Sustained damage to mid
section, including crack in way of a ballast
tank. Arrived Rotterdam Jun 10 for damage
assessment.
container DIS
—
93,500
105,750
—
Had fire in the wheelhouse at Odense Jun 9.
All wheelhouse equipment destroyed. Fire
extinguished by fire brigade and tug Stevns
Iceflower. Delivery will be delayed.
YARD NO.203
ODENSE
(ii)
CONTENTS
T he fo l l ow i ng r ep o r ts a r e rep r i n te d fr om L l oy d’ s L i s t
Reports appear in alphabetical
order under the following
headings and relevant page
number:
BREEZE (Belize)
See “Poaching Vess els Arrested at
K o r s a k o v, Russia” under “Seizures &
arrests.”
Marine, including Overdue
& Missing Vessels
1
BRO TRANSPORTER (Sweden)
London, Jun 10 — Chemical tanker
Bro Tr a n s p o r t e r sai led Falkenberg
Jun 2.
Piracy
10
Port State Control
11
Seizures & Arrests
11
Pipeline Accidents
12
Pollution
13
Weather & Navigation
13
Earthquakes
14
Volcanic Activity
15
Political & Civil Unrest
15
Kidnappings
22
Labour Disputes
22
Awards & Settlements
24
Railway Accidents
25
Miscellaneous
26
Fires & Explosions
27
Aviation
31
Product Recalls
33
Port Conditions
33
Port Conditions charts
34
© Lloyd’s MIU 2006 These reports may
not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by
any means ele ctronic , mec hanic al ,
pho to grap hic , reco rd ed or otheris e
without the prior written permission of the
publisher.
ACHILLEAS (Greece)
Pi rae us , Ju n 14 — Tug A c h i l l e a s
remains at Amaliapolis for repairs. —
L l o y d ’s Agents.
ALIOS ARTEMIS (Greece)
P i r a e u s , J u n 1 4 — C o mb i n e d
chemical and oil tank Alios Artemis
ar r i v ed K er a t s i n i J un 2 f o r
inspection/repairs. The vessel sailed
Ke r a t s i ni J un 1 2 b o u n d f o r A g i o i
Theodoroi to load, and then to proceed
to Iraklion. — Lloyd’s Agents.
AURORA (Netherlands Antilles)
Lond on , Jun 1 4 — Gener al c arg o
A u r o r a sailed Rotterdam Jun 12.
BELLE NAUTICA (Pa n a m a )
London, Jun 10 — A press report,
dated today, states: A fishing vessel
co l l i d ed w i t h a c a r g o c a r ri e r a n d
ca p s i z e d o ff t h e s o ut h w e s t e r n
prefecture of Oita today, killing the
fi s h i n g b o at ’s ca p t ai n, S hi g en o b u
Hanasaki, coast guard officials said.
The 4.9-ton one-man trawler J u s h o
M a r u collided with the Panamanianregistered, 20-member, bulker B e l l e
N a u t i c a ( 17 9 7 9 g t , bu i l t 20 0 4 ) a t
around 0430 about seven kilometres
east of Kunisaki, the officials of the
7t h
R eg i o na l
Coast
G ua r d
headquarters said.
dated today, states: The cap tain of
bulke r Bel l e Na uti ca was arres ted
early Sunday after his vessel capsized
fishing Jusho Maru killing its captain,
of f Ja p a n’s s o ut h w e s t e r n Oi t a
Pr ef e ct ur e ye s t e rd a y, co a s t g u ar d
officials said. The 46-year-old Chinese
ca p t ai n , L i L i n , w a s a r r e s t e d o n
charg es of p rofe ss i onal neg li genc e
resulting in death. The officials said
Li i s susp ected of l etting the B e l l e
N a u t i c a operate without an adequate
wa t c h ea r l y S a t ur d a y ( Ju n 1 0 ) ,
causing the vessel to collide with the
4.9-ton trawler at around 0430 about
7 kilometres east of Kunisaki.
B I L LY STAR (Philippines)
S e e “ Ty p ho o n “C h a nc h u ” ’ u nd e r
“ Weather & Navigation.”
BLACK PRINCE (Bahamas)
See “Outbreak Of Virus On Bahamas
Flag Vessel” under “Miscellaneous”.
BRASA (Malta)
London, Jun 8 — According to LMIU
AIS, combined chemical and oil tank
B r a s a in lat 44 8 54.94N, long 28 39
46 . 2 5 E , 1 . 3 na u t i c a l m i l es f r o m
Constantza, at 1301, today.
L o n d o n , Ju n 12 — C o mb i n e d
chemical and oil tank B r a s a p a s s e d
Istanbul Jun 10, bound Jeddah.
BUDELLI (Italy)
London, Jun 14 — Passenger ro/ro
B u d e l l i arrived Naples Jun 10.
BUSAN EXPRESS (South Ko r e a )
See Jangho Grace.
CEMFJORD (Cyprus)
London, Jun 9 — Following received
from Coastguard Humber MRSC:
Ti m e d 1 7 4 8 , U T C: B u l k c e m en t
carrier C e m f j o r d (1850 gt, built 1984,
v oyage Zwi jnd recht for Gool e) had
engine failure on passage and vessel
a nc hor ed i n l at 5 3 4 2. 1N , l o ng 00
4 9 , 4 W, in the River Ouse near Goole
Reach. Tugs from Goole proceeding to
t o w v e s s e l t o Go o l e N I C C e m en t
berth. The vessel has been instructed
to call the Coastguard after dealing
with tug arrangements and mooring.
Ti m ed 1 82 1, U TC: C e m f j o r d n o w
moored in Goole Docks, assisted by a
tug.
Hull, Jun 13 — Bulk cement carrier
C e m f j o r d was towed to Goole Jun 9.
Vessel was subsequently towed to Hull
o n S un d ay ( J un 11 ) a n d be r t h e d
M o n d a y.
Ves s e l
is
c ur r e n t l y
u n d e r g o i n g r e p a i r s t o a b en t
r u d d e rs t o c k , E TC u n k n o wn a t
present. — Lloyd’s Agents.
CHILEAN REEFER (DIS)
D u rb a n , J u n 1 5 — Re f r i g e r a t e d
general cargo Chilean Reefer (7944 gt,
built 1992) was taken in tow Jun 14
b y t ug To t o a nd i s d u e t o a r r i v e
D u r ba n t o d ay. — L l o y d ’s A g e n t s .
(Note — Chilean Reefer was reported
Jun 14 to have been taken in tow due
to turbo-charger problems.)
C I C LOPE (Pa n a m a )
L o nd o n, J u n 1 0 — B ul k e r w i t h
cont ainer cap aci ty C i c l o p e a r r i v e d
Portland, OR, Jun 8.
L o nd o n, J u n 1 3 — B ul k e r w i t h
c o n t ai ne r ca p ac i t y C i c l o p e s a i l e d
Portland, OR, Jun 9.
CONCEL PRIDE (Nigeria)
Ca d i z , J un 15 — P ro d u ct t an k er
Concel Pride still in port Algeciras. —
CONSING (Philippines)
dated Jun 14, local time, states: The
S o ut h Ko r e a n s h i p b u i l d i n g f i rm
H a nj i n H e av y I n d u s t ri e s a n d
Construction Co. has been issued with
a n o t i c e o f v i ol a ti o n f or l a s t
S a t u r d a y ’s (June 10) oil spill on Subic
B a y, and fined $5,000 (P265,150) daily
until a complete clean up has been
u n d e r t a k e n.
Th e
S ub i c
Bay
M e t ro p o l i t a n A ut h o r i t y ’s e c o l o g y
centre issued the notice yesterday. It
w a s a d d r e s s e d t o Ha k K o n Ki m,
Receive immediate notice as soon as a Casualty occurs. For further information please contact Andrew Luxton on +44 (0) 20 7017 4625.
1
Marine
p r o j e ct d i r ec t o r f o r HH I C ’s 2 3 0 h e ct a r e s hi p y a r d o n Re d on d o
Peninsula. At least 400 litres of fuel
oil spilled on the bay’s water as the
c o m p a n y ’s b a r g e , l a nd i n g c r a f t
C o n s i n g (489 gt, buil t 1982), s ank
while berthed at Sitio Agusuhin in
B a ra n g a y Ca w a g i n S u b i c t o w n ,
S BM A ecol ogy chi ef Ameth ya d el a
Llana said. De la Llana said the area,
w hi c h t h e H H I C wa s u s i n g as a
m oo r i n g s i t e , b e l o n g e d t o t h e
jurisdiction of the SBMA. HHIC, she
s a i d , v i ol at e d t h e S BM A r u l e s o n
prevention, containment, abatement
and control of marine pollution. The
rules prescribe $5,000 as penalty for
the fi rs t off ens e. De la Ll ana al s o
ordered Hak to immediately submit
an incident report, conduct cleanup
and recovery operations and submit
an oi l s p il l co nt in ge ncy p l an . Th e
L C T, which came from general cargo
Stella Cosmos, was transporting steel
sheet piles to the construction site of
Ha nj i n i n S i ti o Ag us uhi n wh en i t
sank. Gregorio Royol, head of SBMA
seaport department’s port operations
d iv is i on, s aid the oi l s p il l cov ered
about 1,500 square metres. “The oil
spill was already enclosed by a spill
boom. The v es s el crew and Hanji n
personnel are recovering the spilled
oil using rags and rubber foams, and
putting them into empty drums,” he
said. He said they have already sent
safety officers to the site to monitor
t h e o i l s p i l l . He s ai d c l e a n- u p
operations are being carried out. He
said they were also using detergent to
treat thin layers of spilled oil while
a d d i t i o n a l s p i l l b o o ms h a d b e e n
installed in the area. As ses sments
were ongoing on the damages to corals
and other aquatic res ources. De la
Llana confirmed that the Agusuhin
area remained a fishing ground.
M ani la, Jun 14 — The S ubi c Bay
M et r o p o l i t a n A u t ho r i t y S e ap o r t
Dep artment rep orted that l and ing
craft C o n s i n g sank at 0800, Jun 10,
off Cawag town in Subic, Zambales
province. The cause of the sinking is
still to be determined. C o n s i n g h a d
originated from the Alava Pier at the
S u b i c Ba y Fr e e p o r t w h e r e i t h a d
taken on a cargo load of steel sheets
a n d p i p e s f or d e l i v e r y t o t h e
construction site of the Hanjin Heavy
Industries shipyard in Cawag town.
She was awaiting her turn to unload
a t th e Ha n j i n S h i p y a r d w h en t h e
master noticed she was sinking and
ord ered the crew to aband on s hip .
Th er e w er e no re p or te d d e at hs o r
injuries to the crew. The SBMA said
that the sinking caused a small oil
spill in the area and it had dispatched
an oil containment tug to clean up the
oil spill. About 400 liters of bunker
f ue l ha d e s ca p e d f ro m t he v es s e l ,
c o v e r i n g a n a re a o f 1 , 5 0 0 s q u a r e
meters. The SBMA is the government
agency administering the former US
naval base of Subic which has been
conv erte d i nto a f reep ort and fr ee
trade zone.
— Ll oy d ’s L i s t
Correspondent.
M ani la, Jun 15 — The S ubi c Bay
M et r o p o l i t a n Au t h o r i t y ( S BM A )
reported that recovery of landing craft
C o n s i n g ’s cargo load of steel sheets
and pi pes is ongoing. The cargo
recovery is being carried out with the
use of a mobile crane positioned near
the shoreline. The C o n s i n g is within
reach of the crane as it sank only a
few metres from the beach of Cawag
town, Subic. SBMA authorities also
said that crew of the C o n s i n g a p p e a r s
t o hav e b een abl e t o p at ch up t he
leaks in the hull, as oil escaping from
the vessel has decreased considerably.
The C o n s i n g, an LCT (Landing Craft,
Tank) built for commercial use, was at
anchor off Cawag town awaiting its
t u r n t o u n l o a d wh e n t h e m a s t e r
n ot i c ed th at t he v es s el ’s bo w w as
slowly going down and flooding was
taking place in the forward deck. A
vessel which was already moored at
t h e p i e r g av e w a y t o a l l o w t h e
C o n s i n g to dock and unload its cargo.
A f te r ha v i n g un l o ad ed p a rt o f i t s
cargo, the C o n s i n g ’s crew noticed that
t h e v e s s e l wa s s t i l l s i n k i ng . T h e
master then decided to leave the pier
and ran the vessel onto the nearby
beach to prevent further sinking. The
C o n s i n g is owned by M anil a-based
A s i a n S h i p p i n g C or p . b u t i s o n
charter to Hanjin Heavy Industries
which is building a shipyard in Cawag
t o w n a nd i s be i ng u s e d t o f e r r y
cons truction materi al s from Al ava
pier at the Subic Bay Freeport to the
shipyard construction site which can
o n l y ac c o m mo d a t e s h al l o w d r a f t
vessels. — Lloyd’s List Correspondent.
COVE (U. S . A. )
from Coast Guard Boston, timed 1244,
UTC: Fishing (general) C o v e a r r i v e d
safely at New Bedford yesterday.
DANIELLA NAT I V I DA D
(Philippines)
M an i l a , J u n 9 — Th e M a r i t i m e
I nd us try Authori ty (M ARINA) has
c l e a r e d p r od u ct t a n k e r D a n i e l l a
N a t i v i d a d for commercial operations
after an inspection by its surveyors on
Wednesday (Jun 7). The MARINA is
t h e r eg ul at o r y a g e n c y f or t h e
P h i l i p p i n e ’s d o me s t i c s hi p p i n g
i n d u s t r y. The Daniella Nativid ad i s
s c he d ul e d t o l e av e t h e N a v o ta s
F i s h p o r t i n M a n i l a , to d a y, f o r
Batangas, to pick up a consignment of
300 metric tons of diesel. — Lloyd’s
List Correspondent.
Manila, Jun 13 — Product tanker
Daniella Natividad is now enroute to
Mandaue Port in Cebu island central
P hi l i p p i ne s af t er l o ad i n g a mi x ed
cargo of gasoline and diesel from the
P e t r on R e fi ne r y i n B at a a n . T h e
Daniella Natividad left the Navotas
Fishport on Friday (Jun 9) evening
after having been cleared for normal
operations by the Maritime Industry
A u t h o r i t y. From Mandaue Port, the
vessel will proceed to Iligan port in
M indanao to unload the res t of its
c arg o. Fr om the re, the v es s el wi ll
r e t u rn t o t h e P e t r on Re f i ne r y i n
B a t a an . S h o g u n S h i p s o f f i c i a l s
disclosed, however, that the tanker is
having difficulty in maintaining its
n o r ma l c r ui s i n g s p e ed . O f f i c i a l s
s u s p ec t
that
the
v e s s e l ’s
tu r b o c ha r g e r s c o u l d b e a t f a u l t .
Repair men are scheduled to meet up
wi t h t he v e s s e l w h e n i t re a c h es
Ba t a a n. O n b oa r d i n s p ec t i o n a n d
repairs will be conducted while the
vessel is waiting it’s turn to take on
cargo from the refinery. — Lloyd’s List
Correspondent.
DS FIESTA (Bahamas)
London, Jun 13 — General cargo D S
F i e s t a sailed Immingham Jun 10.
EAGLE ONE (U. S . A. )
London, Jun 9 — A press report from
the United States, states: The four
person crew of the fishing (general)
Ea gl e O ne ( 58 g t , bu i l t 19 66) was
forced to abandon ship in the vessel’s
mo t o r i s e d s k i f f w he n t he 6 5 - fo o t
commercial vessel ran hard aground
on three points of rock in Auke Bay.
The crew of the vess el was able to
safel y land their skiff on a nearby
stretch of beach located on the southeast corner of Spuhn Is land. Coast
Guard Station Juneau launched their
27-foot S.A.F.E. boat with a rescue
c r e w. M a ri ne s a fe ty of fi ci al s f rom
Sector Juneau inspected the grounded
v es s el , a n d w i t h a c r e w f r o m th e
station, will return to the scene at the
next high tide as a precaution. The on
scene weather was five knot winds.
Th e Ea g l e On e w as c a rr y i n g 65 0
gallons of fuel. There were no reports
of injuries or pollution.
fr o m C o a s t Gu a r d Ju n e a u, t i m e d
1010, UTC: Eagle One has refloated
and towed to Auke Bay.
E I WA MARU NO.8 (South Ko r e a )
London, Jun 14 — Non specific
ta n k e r E i w a Ma ru N o. 8 a r r i v e d
Busan Jun 7 and sailed Jun 12.
FEDERAL PESCADORES
( Pa n a m a )
dated tod ay, states : The owners of
bulker Federal Pescadores, which ran
aground off Fort Lauderdale almost
two years ago and damaged a large
s w a th o f r e e f , ar e s p e n d i ng $3 . 2
million to repair it, according to terms
of a s e t tl e me n t r e ac h e d w i t h
environmental regulators yesterday.
Divers have been removing rubble by
hand and us ing cement to reattach
broken pieces of coral to the reef in
one of the largest restoration efforts
undertaken in Broward County. The
vessel had just left Port Everglades on
the evening of Oct 6, 2004, when it hit
the reef and damaged about six acres
of th e e n v i r o n m en t a l l y s e n s i t i v e
habitat. More than 500 pieces of coral,
including several species of star coral
an d b ra i n co r a l , we r e c r us h e d o r
sheared off by the vess el’s i mp act.
Rescue efforts also caused damage.
Envi ronmenta li s ts sa id the re pa ir
wo r k p a i d fo r b y M o o n B r i g h t
Shipping Co is a critical first step to
allow the reef to begin healing. But
they said decades would pass before
the recovery is complete. “This allows
a fresh start, but it doesn’t restore the
reef,” said Dick Dodge, dean of Nova
S o u th - e a s t e r n
U ni v e r s i t y ’s
2
Marine
oceanographic centre. “It restores the
reef in the sense it takes away the
l oo s e r ub bl e th at ca n cr ea te mo re
damage. The capacity is there to come
back, but that can take a hund red
y ea rs . ” Th e s e tt l eme nt ag re eme nt
between Moon Bright and state and
l o c a l e nv i r on m e nt a l r e g u l a t or s
comprises $3 million for restoration
work and a $200,000 fine that will be
paid into a state environmental trust
fund. Eric Myers, director of biological
resources at the county environmental
p r o t e c t i o n d e p a r t me n t , s a i d t h e
r e s t o r a t i o n w o r k wa s l a rg el y
completed and that Moon Bright’s bill
was in line with those paid by other
shippers who have damaged the reef.
Damage from the incident extended
over an area running at least the 546foot length of the vessel, with a width
of as much as 200 feet. Environmental
regulators wanted about 200 tons of
loose rubble removed because of the
potential to damage the reef further
during storms or heavy surf. Divers
collected the material and placed it in
bas kets that were taken about two
miles north-east of the accident site.
To repair the hard coral, Moon Bright
agreed to a restoration technique that
has been used in the Florida Keys as
well as off California’s Baja peninsula.
After the grounding, divers stored the
c or al i n p ro te ct ed l o ca t i on s . T he y
reattached the sheared coral heads to
the reef using cement that can hold
even during strong storms.
F LY I N G C AT 3 (Greece)
Piraeus, Jun 14 — Ferry Flyingcat 3
r e ma i n s i n P i ra e u s p o r t . N o
i n f o r ma t i o n r e g a r d i n g r e p a i rs i s
available. — Lloyd’s Agents.
London, Jun 15 — Lloyd’s Casualty
rep re s entat iv es i n Pir aeus rep or t:
Ferry Flyingcat 3 (613 gt, built 1998)
was p e rmi tt ed to c ont i nue n orma l
s ch e d u l i n g o n Ju n 14 f o l l o w i n g
i n s p e c t i o n o f th e r ep a i r s t o t h e
starboard main engine, sustained May
29, and issuance of a class maintain
certificate from vessel’s class.
FREDERICK G.CREED (Canada)
L on d on , J un 15 — Re s e ar c h
Frederick G.Creed arrived Halifax Jun
9.
G AWIALIS (Netherlands)
from Kiel, dated today, states: Dutch
inland water craft G a w i a l i s , length
90m, which had run aground on the
river Main with 1500 tons diesel oil
w a s r e f l o a t e d o n e d ay a ft e r t h e
acci dent on Jun 1. About 500 tons
diesel had been lightered before. The
vessel was brought into a repair yard
with a damaged rudder.
GRAND LU C KY (Cambodia)
Yokohama, Jun 9 — General cargo
Gr a nd L uc ky ( 49 7 g t, bu il t 19 82) ,
cargo 1,000 tonnes scrap, ran aground
in lat 32 35.6N, long 128 48.3E, at
1615, Jun 8. Vessel sustained damage
to engine-room and oil spill observed.
All crew were rescued by Japan Coast
Guard. — Lloyd’s Agents.
Coast Guard Japan, timed 0705, UTC:
General cargo Grand Lucky, XUKA7,
is still aground.
GULFSTREAM II (Canada)
London, Jun 13 — Passenger (cruise)
Gul fstrea m II ( 16 3 g t, b ui l t 1 943 )
ex p e r i e n c ed
a
f i re
in
the
accommodation spaces, while en route
in Vancouver Harbour, B.C., in lat 49
20N, long 123 09W, on Jun 11. Fire
extinguished by crew, Canadian Coast
Guard firefighting boats. The vessel
was towed back to berth.
H A R A PAN SENTOSA I
(Indonesia)
f ro m S i n g a p o r e P or t Op e ra t i o n s ,
timed 0202, UTC: Indonesian coastal
ves s el Har ap a n S entosa I (1 68 gt )
sank early yesterday morning in the
p o s i t i o n l at 0 1 1 5 . 7 N , l on g 1 0 4
00. 69E. Fi fteen p ersons have been
re s c ue d . T h r e e a r e m i s s i n g . I t i s
cons idered extremely unlikely that
any salvage attempts will be made.
H AWAIIAN LEADER (Bahamas)
S e e “ Bo u r g a s , B u l g a r i a ” u nd e r
“Pollution”.
H AWK (Cyprus)
Limassol, Jun 15 — A press report,
d a te d t o d a y, s t at e s : Bu l k e r H a w k
(26122 gt, built 1994), carrying bulk
cement, ran into trouble two weeks
ago, as it got stuck at the Lagos port
harbours as a result of the low water
level. The vessel was forced to berth
against the advice of maritime pilots
who warned that an accident could
o c c u r, should the vessel be forced to
berth. A visit to the Lagos harbours
where the vessel got stuck, revealed
that plans to discharge the vessel of
its content had to be suspended as the
agent has waited for another three
days for the water level to rise before
it can properly berth and discharge.
Sources close to the Nigerian Ports
Authority (NPA) disclosed that pilots
ha d to us e a t ug bo at to p us h th e
vessel, whose draft was put at about
t en m e t r es w h i l e t h e d r a f t o f t h e
Apapa port channel is about nine and
half metres, making it impossible for
t he v e s s e l t o b e r th u nd e r n o r ma l
circumstances. It was learnt that the
p i l ot h ad t o br i n g i n t h e v e s s e l
because if he had refused to do that,
he would have been reported to the
management of the Ports Authority as
t o b e d e ma n d i ng m o ne y f r o m t h e
agent before bringing in the vessel.
Th i s , t he a g en t Va ng u a rd fu r th e r
learnt, could lead to the sacking of the
pilot. Efforts to get comments from
both the Public Affairs Department
and the Lagos Channel Management
Compa ny (a s ubs i d iary of N PA in ch a r g e o f t he m a na g e m e nt o f t h e
Ports Authority water channels), was
futile, as Mr Chris Borha, Assistant
General Manager of the Public Affairs
was said to be out of town. Va n g u a r d ’s
effort to speak with the Captain of the
vessel was also abortive, as he could
not understand a word of English. A
s o u r ce c l o s e t o t h e h ar b o u r s ’
department disclosed that 48 hours
after the vessel ran aground, a few
tons of its content were evacuated to
al low the v ess el to get afl oat. The
source also disclosed that the vessel
wi ll have to go fo r checks so as to
carry out every necessary repairs on
the damage it might have sustained.
(Note — H a w k was reported arriving
Apapa-Lagos May 28 from Hoping.)
HESTIA (Antigua & Barbuda)
L o nd o n, J u n 1 5 — I n f o r ma t i o n
received from Sandnes, dated today,
s t at e s : G e n er a l c ar g o
Hestia
c o m p l e t e d r e p a i r s an d s a i l e d f o r
Rotterdam at about 1400, local time,
Jun 14.
H Y U N DAI FORTUNE (Pa n a m a )
L o nd o n, J u n 9 — L o n d o n - l i s t e d
Goldenport Holdings is spending more
than
$4 0 m
a c qu i r i ng
t wo
containerships, including the charred
remains of c.c. Hyundai Fortune. The
purchase of the 3,007 teu c.c. B e n g a l
S e a and c.c. Hyund ai Fortune, which
has a nominal intake of 5,551 teu,
represent significant deals for
Goldenport over and above expansion.
Gol denport is paying $1 3m for
Hyund ai Fortune after emerging as
t h e w i n n e r i n a t e n d e r he l d b y
Hyundai Marine & Fire and
Insurance for the sale of the badly
d amaged vess el . The company s aid
repairs to Hyundai Fortune, p artly
destroyed by a cargo fire in March,
w ou l d s t ar t i mm ed i a t el y wi t h t he
vessel expected to become operational
in 14 to 18 months. Goldenport chief
executive Paris Dragnis said H y u n d a i
F o r t u n e w as “ a n e x c i t i n g p r o j ec t
p er fect ly s ui ted ” to th e comp an y’s
e x p e rt i s e i n ma i n t a i n i n g a n d
operating secondhand vessels. Capt
Dragnis added: “After the completion
of repairs we will take delivery of an
extensively renovated vessel at a total
c o s t w hi ch we b el i e v e w i l l b e
materially below market value”.
IZVORUL MARE 1
Bucharest, Jun 8 — Understand that
while floating crane No 682, owned by
U n i t e d S h i p p i n g Ag e n c y S RL ,
Constantza, was being manoeuvred at
C on s ta nt z a b y p us he r t ug I z v o r u l
Mare 1 , reportedly owned by Canal
Service Constantza, the crane’s boom
contacted a portal crane belonging to
stevedoring company Minmetal SA at
berth no. 64/65 at about 1245, Jun 8.
T h e p o r t a l c r an e s ub s e qu e n t l y
collapsed onto the floating crane and
I zv o r ul M a r e 1 , r e s ul t i n g i n th e
sinking of the tug. The incident also
caused injuries and deaths, although
the exact numbers are not presently
known. — Lloyd’s Agents.
E d i nb u r g h ,
Jun
8
—
At
approximately 1300, local time, Jun 8,
Danube pusher “Izvoru Mare 1” was
pushing a floating crane, within the
port of Constanta, when they collided
w i t h a b ri d g e . T h e p u s h e r s a n k
i m m e d i a t e l y. Six people are believed
to have died, four from the pusher and
t w o o n t h e b ri d g e . — D a n ub e
Research.
3
Marine
Edinburgh, Jun 9 — Five persons
died, another four were injured, while
one remained blocked in the cabin of a
l o a d i ng - un l o a d i n g b r i d g e w h i c h
collapsed, further to a naval accident
w hi c h
o c c ur r e d
y e s t er d a y i n
C o ns t a nt a P o r t. T h e a cc i d e n t
happened at 1230, in the wharfs 64-65
o f C o ns t a nt a P o r t . Ac c o r d i ng t o
Neculai Coman, firs t deputy of the
c h i e f o f Co n s t a n t a E m er g e n c i e s
Inspectorate, four workers died as a
r e s u l t o f th e a cc i d e n t . Va l e n t i n
Serbanescu, deputy di rector of the
Romanian Naval Authority, declared
that the accid ent occurred when a
floating crane was pushed by pusher
tug Izvorul Mare 1 . The arm of the
floating crane reached the arm of a
f i x e d c ra n e . I n t h a t m o m en t , t h e
loading-unloading bridge crashed over
the floating crane and the tug-boat
w hi c h s a n k . O n t he br i d g e w h i c h
col lap sed there were nine pers ons ,
two of them dying instantly. Another
two s ailors were found dead in the
tu g -bo at . Ac co rd i ng to S te fa nes c u
another two persons remained stuck
i n t h e e n g i n e - r o om o f t h e f i x e d
loading-unloading bridge, from where
divers were trying to take them out.
One of them was found d ead . Fiv e
w o rk er s w h o we r e o n t h e b r i d g e
survived, four of them being badly
i n j ur e d a n d t a k e n t o C o n s t a n t a
Co unt y ho s p i tal , wher e t hey wer e
admitted with numerous traumas and
broken bones. — Danube Research.
Bucharest, Jun 12 — Und ers tand
negotiations in view of wreck removal
o f p u s h e r t u g Iz vo r u l M a r e 1 a r e
under way between Romanian Naval
A u t h o r i t y, C o n s t a n t z a H ar b o u r
M a s t e r, Minmetal SA, owners of the
portal crane, United Shipping Agency,
owners of the floating crane no. 682
and Canal Services SRL, operators of
Izvorul Mare 1, on one hand, and the
l o c a l r e p r e s en t a t i v e o f f i c e o f
Multraship Towage & Salvage on the
o t h er h a nd . A f u r t h er m e et i ng
between the aforesaid parties would
reportedly take place at Constantza
t o d a y. — Lloyd’s Agents.
JANGHO GRACE (South Ko r e a )
Yokohama, Jun 9 — General cargo
J angho Grace (1257 gt, built 1985)
and container carrier Busan Express
(3671 gt, built 1988) were in collision
in lat 34 24.7N, long 130 09.2E, at
0200, Jun 1 and as a result J a n g h o
G r a c e sank, however, its nine crew
were rescued by a Japan Coast Guard
patrol vessel. Busan Express sailed for
Kanmon under own power. No injuries
or oil spill was observed. — Lloyd’s
Agents. (Note — J angho Grace h a s
sailed S hikama May 30 for M as an.
Busan Express sailed Busan May 31,
arrived Moji Jun 1, sailed same day
arrived Hiroshima same day, sailed
Jun 2 and next reported to have sailed
Moji Jun 4 for Busan.)
JOSEF MOBIUS (Germany)
L on d on , J u n 1 5 — I n f or m a t i o n
r e v e i v e d f r o m Ki e l , d a te d t o d ay,
states: Hopper dredger J osef Mobius
(5939 gt, built 1974), which was under
repair at Lloyds Yard after leakage in
M a y, was back in service on Jun 9. It
left Bremerhaven via the northern
lock at 2200, with destination North
Sea. (Note — J osef Mobi us a r r i v e d
Bremerhaven May 18.)
JUSHO MARU (Japan)
See Belle Nautica .
KARIM I (Cambodia)
Bucharest, Jun 12 — Salvors righted
the wreck of general cargo Karim I o n
k e e l / u p ri g h t y e s t e r d a y w i t h t h e
assistance of t Active King , owned by
Acti ve Venture I V.KS . Norway / J.
Hagenaes Shipping AS Norway and
managed by Grup Servicii Petroliere
of Constantza. Salvors are presently
i n p r e p a r a t i o n s f o r r e fl o at i ng o f
Karim I. — Lloyd’s Agents.
KIRAN ASYA (Turkey)
L o nd o n , J un 1 2 — F ol l o w i n g
r e c e i v e d f r o m Co a s t G u a r d C o as t
G u a rd M an i l a , t i me d 1 6 30 , U T C :
Bulker Kiran Asya (39327 gt, built
1997) which grounded in lat 07 06N,
long 117 52.37E, on “Jun 10” has been
refloated. Vessel is now in vicinity of
g round ing si te and a Coas t Guard
vessel is enroute to investigate.
Manila, Jun 13 — Reported that a
carg o s hi p of Tu rk is h regi st ry ran
a g r o u nd a p p r o x i m a t el y 3 5 m i l e s
north-west of M ip un I sl and, Ta w i Tawi, on Jun 10. The report said that
bulker Kiran Asya , which was loaded
with nickel cargoes was enroute to
Singapore from Malaysia when it ran
aground. All 28 Turkish crewmembers
were unhurt. The Philippine Coast
Guard are to conduct an underwater
inspection to determine if the vessel
has sustained any bottom damage and
also to provide security to the vessel.
— Lloyd’s Agents.
L o nd o n , J un 13 — U n d er s t a nd
bulker Ki ra n Asya refloated by its
own means Jun 13.
L o nd o n ,
J un
13
—
A
S v i t z e r Wijs mu ll er S al v age rep ort ,
dated Jun 12, states: A salvage team
of
S v i t z e r Wi j s mu l l er
Salvage
Singapore assisted in the refloationg
o p er a t i o n s e x e c u t e d t o f r ee t h e
grounded bulker Kiran Asya , loaded.
The vess el had run aground at the
northern Borneo coast more then a
w e e k e a rl i e r. A s a l v a g e t ea m o f
S v i t z e r Wi js m ul l e r
S a l v a g e ’s
S i n g a p o r e o f f i c e wa s d i s p a t c he d
i mm e d i a t e l y o n r e qu e s t o f t h e
owners/underwriters afterwhich the
vessel was refloated on the morning
high tide at about 0735, local time,
Jun
11
af t e r
some
weight
redistribution operations.
Manila, Jun 14 — The Phili ppine
Co as t G uar d r ep or ted t hat bul k er
Kiran Asya was able to free itself from
i ts g rou nd ed p os i ti on Jun 11. The
vessel using its own power and taking
advantage of the high tide pulled free
from the shallows off Mapun Island,
Ta wi Tawi in southern Philippines.
Th e v es s el was re fl oat ed wi th t he
assistance of Philippine Coast Guard
s e ar c h an d r e s c u e v es s e l N u e v a
Vi z c a y a which provided security and
technical assistance. After Kiran Asya
moved to deeper waters , a team of
Co a s t G ua r d d i v e r s c o nd u ct e d a n
und erwater ins pecti on. The d iv ers
reported no damage to the hull of the
v es s e l . F ol l ow i n g t he u nd e rw a te r
inspection, she was allowed to proceed
on voy age to Sing ap ore. — Ll oyd’s
List Correspondent.
LIBERTY EAGLE (U. S . A. )
Chittagong, Jun 15 — Bulker L i b e r t y
E a g l e sailed for Karachi at 1042 hs,
Jun 9. — Lloyd’s Agents.
LIN I (Pa n a m a )
See “Somalia” under “Piracy. ”
LODBROK (Sweden)
S t oc k ho l m, J un 12 — Re p a i rs to
crane barge L o d b r o k are expected to
be completed end of July, beginning of
August. — Lloyd’s Agents.
LONG FU (Pa n a m a )
Lond on, Jun 8 — A p res s rep ort,
dated today, states: The Thu Thiem
ferry terminal in downtown Ho Chi
M i n h C i t y ca m e t o a s t an d s t i l l
yesterday after general cargo Long Fu
(1 0 2 0 8 g t , b u i l t 1 9 8 0 ) s tr u c k i ts
landing jetty. Long Fu ran into the
floating wharf of the terminal, which
is located next to the Me Linh Square
in District 1, at around 1040 hrs while
going adrift possibly due to loss of
control. The entire floating structure
was driven 15 metres away from its
a n c h o r. T he a c c i d en t a l s o c au s e d
damage to two ferries that were lying
at anchor in the Saigon River without
any passengers on board. Nguyen Vi e t
Son, d eputy di rector of the HCMC
Service of Communications and Public
Wo r k s , w h i c h c a l l ed a p r e s s
conference after the i nci dent, sai d
there were no casualties reported. The
fe r r y s e r v i c e b et w e e n t h e c i t y ’s
d o wn t o w n ar e a a n d T h u T hi em
Penins ul a i n Dis tri ct 2 c ould onl y
resume by Jun 20, he said. Alreadyheavy traffic on the Saigon Bridge has
become heavier as it is now the only
way to go between the city center and
Dis trict 2. Normally 200-230 ferry
cross i ngs transp ort around 40,000
passengers a day with total revenue of
VN D 3 2 mi l l i o n ( U S $2 , 0 0 0 ) . Th e
authorities are urgently evaluating
the damage and mapping out a plan to
repair the jetty, Son said, adding the
repair cost was forecast at VND8.8
billion (US$550,000). The Service of
Communications and Publi c Wo r k s
wil l cov er th e rep ai r co s t p end i ng
compensation by the owner of L o n g
F u , which is being detained by the
HCMC Port Authority. According to
the HCMC Port Authority, the insurer
of the ship will send staff to the city
to assess the damage caused in the
ne x t f e w d a y s . S o n s ai d t h e c i t y
waterway police and port authority
launched a probe into the accident.
d at e d J un 8 , s t at e s : Fe r ry t r a ff i c
across the Saigon River came to a halt
yesterday when general cargo L o n g
F u s t r u c k a w ha r f i n D i s t r i c t 1 ,
forcing thousands of passengers on
the Thu Thiem peninsula to find an
al t er na t i ve r ou te . The v es s e l was
being pushed upstream from Ho Chi
4
Marine
Minh City port by two tugs when it
started drifting toward Thu Thiem
Wharf, where passengers were waiting
to board a ferry bound for District 2,
s ai d Tran Ng oc Bi nh Phuong , who
works at the wharf and witnessed the
mishap. “Although the ship was being
towed by the two tugs, it suddenly
changed course from the stern, broke
f re e f ro m th e r op es an d cr a s he d
violently into the wharf,” he said. The
ship also hit two ferries moored on a
nearby embankment before coming to
a stop, although neither was seriously
damaged. “I started the engine and
quickly left the wharf heading for the
oppos ite bank when I saw the s hip
d r i f ti ng t ow ar d t h e w ha r f, wh i c h
clearly threatened the safety of our
passengers,” said captain Dang Va n
Mui of the Thu Thiem Ferry C. The
violent impact collapsed the pillars on
t he 20 me t re p i e r. An en g i ne e r
inspecting the damage said it would
t ak e 20 t o 2 5 d a y s t o r ep a i r t h e
structure, which he said weighs about
100 tonnes. Traffic police and local
port authorities said an investigation
i n to t he ac c i d e nt w as a l r ea d y
underway, while the Thu Thiem Ferry
Company refused to speculate on when
their operations would resume.
dated today, states: A ferry wharf in
Ho Chi Minh City which is undergoing
repairs after general cargo Long Fu
cras hed into it will resume limited
operations on Jun 21. Ta Thi Hong
Tam, director of the city’s Ferry and
Bridge Maintenance Company, said
the Thu Thiem wharf on the Saigon
Riv er woul d begi n to berth ferries
c a r ry i n g a l i m i t e d n u mb e r o f
pedestrians, motorbikes, and cars. It
w o ul d t a k e a n ot h e r t wo t o t h r e e
months before the wharf returned to
i ts norma l 40 ,000 -p as s eng er d ai ly
c a p a c i t y. The wharf was completely
d es t ro ye d la s t Wed ne s d ay (J un 7 )
w he n t h e v e s s e l r a m me d i t a f t e r
l o s i n g c o n t r ol . T h e d o c k ’s l o s s o f
r e v e nu e s f r o m t he mi s h a p i s
es ti mat ed at o ver do ng 8 0 mil l i on
($5,000) daily.
dated today, states: Vietnamese stateowned company has sued a Chinese
c o m p a n y, demanding VND11.4 billion
(US$712,500) in compensation as the
l a t t e r ’s ship, general cargo Long Fu ,
had struck a Ho Chi Minh City’s ferry
wharf. The Ho Chi Minh City Ferry
and Bri d ge M aintenance Company
filed the lawsuit at the local People’s
Court tod ay agai ns t the Long Phu
Shipping SA as its vessel had rammed
i n t o t h e T h u T hi em wh a r f l a s t
Wednesday Jun 7). The company has
a l s o a s k e d t h e c o u rt t o s e i z e t h e
vessel pending trial. Earlier, Nguyen
Viet Son, deputy director of the city’s
transport department put the damage
at
ar o u n d
V N D8 . 8
billion
(US$550,000). Meanwhile, the wharf
i s b ei n g re p a i re d an d e xp ec te d t o
resume limited operations by Jun 21.
H o w e v e r, it would take another two to
three before the ferry dock returned to
its normal capacity. Loss of revenues
from the mishap is estimated at over
VND80 million ($5,000) daily.
LO N G O B A R DA (Italy)
L o n g o b a r d a arrived Augusta Jun 13.
M A L I TAM (Philippines)
S ee “ Ty p ho o n “C h a n ch u ” ’ u n d e r
“ Weather & Navigation.”
MARIAM EXPRESS (Pa n a m a )
L o nd o n , J u n 1 4 — O n J u n 1 0 ,
M E N AS Op e ra t i o n s p e r ma n e nt l y
marked the wreck of Roll On Roll Off
M a r i a m Exp ress . T h e w r e ck i s
hazardous to navigation and is located
in a major s hipp ing route some 14
nautical miles west of Hamriyah in
l at 2 5 2 7 . 3 7 7N , l o n g 5 5 0 6 . 22 7 E .
Mariners are requested to navigate
with utmost caution in the area. The
buoy is located close north of the bow
of the wreck.
M A R I E TTE LE ROCH (Fr a n c e )
r e c e i v e d f r o m Co a s t g u a r d C l y d e
M R CC , t i me d 17 54 , U TC : F i s hi n g
(g ener al) Ma ri ette l e R och , FVDX ,
(297 gt, built 1984), with nine crew on
board, in lat 55 19N, long 05 21W, at
1519, UTC, Jun 11 when it advised
they had had an engine failure and
required a tug. At 1910, UTC, vessel
was in lat 55 24.4N, long 05 18.4W,
2.8 miles south of Arran. Vessel was
inbound Troon with approximately 30
t o n n es o f f i s h o n b o ar d , U r g e n c y
broadcast action was initiated and tug
Red Empress proceeding from Tr o o n
with ETA 2030, UTC. Scottish Fishery
Protection vessel J u r a E TA also 2030,
UTC. Campbeltown lifeboat on scene
es tabl ished a temporary tow in an
attempt to hold the vessel in position
until J u r a and Red Empress a r r i v e d .
Tow was taken over by Red Empress
a n d he a d e d f o r Tr o o n , E TA 00 4 0 ,
UTC, escorted by J u r a . Campeltown
l i f eb oat re l ea s ed . Th e t ow b y R e d
E m p r e s s continued uneventfully to
Troon where vessel was safely secured
a t 0 1 0 9, U TC , J u n 1 2. La t e r :
U n d e rs ta n d Ma ri ette l e R oc h w i l l
l e a v e Tr o on t o mo r ro w i n t o w o f a
sistership for France.
M A SS A C H U S E TTS (U. S . A. )
dated Jun 12, states: Passengers on
passenger ro/ro M a s s a c h u s e t t s (99 gt,
built 1988) were evacuated after the
b o a t ’s en gi ne cau ght fi re tod a y i n
Quincy Bay. According to the Coast
Guard , s he was carrying 65 people
and five crew members at the time of
t h e f i re . T he b oa t wa s h e a d e d t o
Hingham
from
R os e
Wh a r f .
Passengers were transferred to ferry
T he L a u r a a n d b r o u g h t to t h e
Hingham Ship Yard. Officials say the
boat pulled up next to M a s s a c h u s e t t s
a n d e v e r y o ne wa s p u l l e d o f f t h e
burning vessel. The boat fire was put
ou t by a ve ss e l f ire fi ght er s hor tl y
a f t e r 1 73 0 h r s , an d a c co r d i n g t o
o f f i c i a l s , t h e r e a re no r e p or t s o f
i nj u r i e s . T he C o as t Gu a r d i s
investigating the incident.
received from Coast Guard Boston,
t i mes 01 50, UT C: P as s e ng er r o/ ro
M a s s a c h u s e t t s has been dewatered
an d an c h o r ed a wa i ti n g t o wa g e .
Commerci al tug on scene awai ting
d e c i s i o n wh e r e t o to w v e s s e l f o r
r e p a i r s / s u r v e y.
dated Jun 13, states: Passenger ro/ro
M a s s a c h u s e t t s left Rowe’s Wharf in
Boston Harbor around 1600 hrs and
the flames were spotted shortly after.
The crew quickly worked to ensure
that all 63 passengers got off safely.
“As soon as they saw any smoke they
put everybody on the upper deck, they
made them put their life jackets on,
they asked for assistance to get the
people off and they didn’t open the
engine-room door, because they didn’t
know what was there and they didn’t
want to take that chance,” said Bill
S p e n c e o f M a s s B a y L i n e s . Th e
passengers and five crew members
were transferred onto another ferry
and continued on to Hingham. The
fi r e i s u nd e r i n v e s ti g a t i o n a nd a
different ferry was going to be put in
to service for today’s commute.
L o n d o n , J u n 14 — F o l l o w i n g
received from Coast Guard Bos ton,
time d 1345, UTC: Pas s eng er ro /ro
M a s s a c h u s e t t s ha s be e n t ow e d t o
Boston.
MB 54 (U. S . A. )
London, Jun 13 — A Coast Guard
Ta mpa p re ss re lea s e, d ated to day,
s t a t e s : C o a s t G u ar d S e c t o r S t .
Petersburg is trying to find the owner
of 60-foot work barge MB 54 (75 gt,
bu i l t 2 0 05 ) t h a t s t ru c k th e
no r t h bo u n d l an e s of t h e Ho w a r d
Frankland Bridge, Interstate 275, at
about 0230 today. It is believed that
the barge broke free of its moorings
due to the hi g h wind s and s eas of
tropical storm “Alberto”. Officials are
working to find the owner of the barge
and remove the barge from causing
further damage to the bridge. Florida
De p a r t m e nt o f Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n
(FDOT), Florida Highway Patrol and
the Tamp a P ol i ce D ep ar tme nt a re
wo r k i n g t o g e t h e r t o as s e s s th e
damage. The bridge is now open to
traffic with only the right lane closed
fo r b r i d g e w o r k e rs . Th e b a rg e i s
carrying no cargo and there have been
no injuries. (Later) A local salvage
company is on scene at the Howard
Frankland Bridge attempting to tow a
wo r k b a rg e t h a t s t r u ck th e
no r t h bo u n d l an e s of t h e Ho w a r d
Frankl and Brid g e, I nters tat e 275,
t o d a y. The owner of the barge has
been identified as Mobro Marine in
Ja c k s o n v i l l e . T he b a rg e i s l e as e d
locally to M and J Construction in St.
Petersburg, Fla., and they have hired
DMT Salvage out of East Bay, Fla, to
tow the barge to safety.
dated Jun 13, states: A barge (barge
MB 54 ) being used to fix the Howard
Frankland Bridge instead damaged
the roadway after waves from Tr o p i c a l
Storm “Alberto” tore the barge from
its moorings and rammed it into a
br i d g e p i e r. T h e 6 0 - fo o t - l o n g
co n s t r u c t i o n b a r g e s t r u c k th e
eastbound span of the bridge near the
Tampa approach at 0230 today. The
unmanned barge then continued to
5
Marine
thrash against the bridge for nearly
six hours, grating away concrete in
places and cracking part of the pier as
crews scrambled to control the vessel
and protect the bridge. Officials from
the
Fl or i d a
D e p a r t me n t
of
Tr ansportation toss ed rubber tyres
ov e r t he s i d e of th e br i d g e at on e
point to deflect the barge’s blows. A
U . S . C o as t Gu a r d r es c u e b o a t
eventually towed the barge away at
0900 hrs. It was taken to the Port of
Tampa. Two generators on the barge
were crushed and a storage pod was
bent by the barge’s impact with the
bri d ge. The d amag e to the b rid ge ,
meanwhile, “was primarily cosmetic,”
s ai d P e p e G a rc i a, D O T d i s t ri c t
structures and facilities engineer. No
one was hurt, and a lane of eastbound
traffic was closed while crews worked
to remove the barge. Engineers plan
to perform an underwater inspection
o f t h e b ri d g e wh e n th e we a t h e r
improves, Garcia said. State officials
also are examining why the barge had
been near the bridge in the first place.
T h e b a r g e h a d b e e n us e d a s a
co ns t ruc ti o n p l at for m fo r t he l a s t
m on t h
to
perform
routine
m ai nt e n a n ce a n d re p a i r s o n t h e
bridge, state DOT officials said. But
a s “A l b e r t o ” a p p ro a c h e d F l o r i d a
y e s t e r d a y, t h e p ri v a t e c o mp a ny
p erf ormi ng the maintenance, M &J
C o ns t r uc t i o n o f Tar p o n S p r i n g s ,
decided to move the barge just 150
feet south of the bridge, Garcia said.
And d uring that move, p art of the
cable system that anchors the barge
b r o k e, G ar c i a s a i d . T h e c o mp a ny
chose to moor the barge in its new
l oca ti on any way, Ga rci a s ai d . Th e
D OT i s n o w i n v e s t i g at i ng t h e
i nc i d ent . “ We wan t t o un d er s ta nd
wha t th ey were thi nk i ng and why
t h e y t ho u g h t t h a t wa s t he b e s t
location,” Garcia said. John Va r l e s e ,
controller with M & J, said he did not
k no w w he re c re ws h a d d ec i d e d t o
place the barge, or why they mad e
t h at c h oi c e. T h e Tar p o n S p r i n g s
c o m p a n y, which in March won a $2.2million contract for the maintenance
work, will be expected to pay for the
cost of any repairs, Garcia said. An
e s t i ma t e o f t h o s e c o s t s w e r e n o t
available tonight.
MERCURY (Bahamas)
See “Outbreak Of Virus on Bahamas
MRINAL (Liberia)
Kochi, Jun 10 — Bulker M r i n a l w a s
diverted to Hong Kong on Apr 1 due to
turbo-charger p robl ems . Followi ng
r e p a i r s a t H o ng Ko n g , t h e v e s s e l
sailed Apr 7 for Singapore. While en
route to Singapore, damage was found
to the port and starboard main engine
coupli ng s, and the vess el towed to
S i ng ap o r e o n Ap r 2 1 . I t t o ok o n
b u nk e r s a n d s a i l e d o n M a y 11 .
Damage was found to the port main
engine coupling on May 13, and the
vessel proceeded using its starboard
main engine. On May 17, the vessel
had problems with the starboard main
engine coupling. The vessel was taken
in tow by tug S alvage Challenger o n
May 21 and towed to Tuticorin, where
it arrived May 30. — Lloyd’s Agents.
MSC YORKSHIRE (U. K. )
L o nd o n ,
J un
13
—
A
S v i t z e r Wijsmuller Salvage BV report,
d a te d J u n 9 , s t a t e s : F ol l o w i n g
ex tensi ve op erati ons s tarted earl y
M a y S v i t z e r Wi js m ul l e r S a l v a g e
completed the ex-Container Carrier
MS C Yo r k s h i r e cont ain er rec over y
o p er a t i o n s o f f C ux ha v e n . T h i s
concerned in total seven containers
l o a d e d wi th c ar s a nd a j et - s k i , o f
which one container had spilled its
contents. In an operation spanning 17
w o r k i n g d a y s o n l y, t h e s e v e n
containers, 22 cars and a jet-ski were
recovered from waterdepths of 30-35
me tre s . Th e re cov er ed go od s we re
landed in Cuxhaven for disposal.
NGANHURRA (Australia)
L o nd o n , J u n 1 3 — F l o a t i n g
production tanker N g a n h u r r a a r r i v e d
Singapore Jun 7.
NORWEGIAN CROWN (Bahamas)
Lo ndon , Jun 9 — A pr es s re por t,
dated Jun 8, states: An investigation
has begun to find out why passenger
( c r u i s e ) N o rw eg i a n C ro w n r a n
aground on a reef between Spanish
P o i n t a n d Do c k y a r d t e mp o ra r i l y
stranding more than 1,600 passengers
and crew. It is thought the reef struck
by Norwegian Crown early yesterday
morning has most likely been ruined.
The ship remained aground for most
o f t h e d a y un t i l h i g h t i d e i n t h e
evening finally lifted the vessel clear
o f t h e u n d e r w at e r o b s tr u c t i o n
a l l ow i ng i t to b e s a i l e d to ne ar b y
Dockyard. Bermuda was shrouded in
d ark, low cloud and pound ing rain
w h e n t h e s h i p c a me t o g r i e f
attempting to enter the Dundonald
Channel outside Grassy Bay at 0825
hrs. A pilot boat, under the guidance
of a local mariner, was bringing the
ship in for its scheduled docking at
Hamilton when the ship shuddered to
a halt after hitting a reef. The damage
caused
to
B e r mu d a’ s
ma r i n e
environment by the incident is still to
be assessed. Bad weather and stirred
up s ediment made it impos sible to
view the underwater area yesterday.
An early inspection of the ship, which
had sailed earlier in the day from St.
G e o r g e ’ s , ap p e a r e d to s h o w n o
p un c t u r e m ar k s t o i t s h ul l . A n
attempt was made shortly after the
ship ran aground to pull her clear.
Three tugs attempted to haul the ship
backwards off the reef but with low
t i d e a p p ro ac hi ng t he s hi p d i d no t
budge and it was soon stuck fast with
its bow raised in a shallow upwards
a n g l e . Ha l f w a y th r o u g h t h e d a y
passengers were able to disembark
the stranded ship and reach Hamilton
using a ferry tender boat, many using
the rainy and curtailed excursion to
the city to visit shops and restaurants
before being taken back out to the
c r ui s e s hi p i n t h e l at e af t e rn o on .
When high tide came at 1840 hrs the
ship freed itself from the reef and was
r e d i r ec t e d t o Ki n g ’s W h ar f a t
Dockyard. Acting Premier Paula Cox
last night said she was pleased the
ship had been safely removed from
the reef and there appeared to be no
damage to its hull. She said: “I want
to convey a debt of gratitude to the
sound technical advice of the Director
of M a r i n e a n d P or t s F r a nc i s
Richardson and his team along with
th e
D e p a r t me n t
of
M a r i t i me
Administration and most importantly,
the skill and acumen of the tug crews
of the P o w e r f u l, F a i t h f u l and E d w a r d
E S to w e . ” An d s h e s a i d a n
i n v e s t i g a t i o n w a s u n d e r wa y t o
ascertain the cause of the incident.
Director of Environmental Protection,
D r. Th o ma s S l e e te r, s a i d t h e r ee f
whi ch the s hip hi t w as more t han
likely ruined, though his team were
unable to view it yesterday because
there was too much sediment in the
w a t e r. I n a s t a t e me n t N o rw e g i a n
Cruise Line said: “Present indications
are that the integrity of the ship has
no t b e en a f f e ct e d . A f u l l d a ma g e
as s es s ment will be conducted by a
team of divers. NCL continues to work
with local authorities to determine
what caused the ship to run aground.”
Th e c r ui s e s hi p h a d s a i l e d f r om
Ph i l ad e l p h i a a n d i s s c h e d u l e d t o
return there on Sunday.
dated Jun 9, states: The Government
has be en cr i ti c i s ed f or ma k i ng no
Pa r l i am e n ta r y s t at e m e nt o n th e
g r ou n d i ng o f p a s s e n g e r ( c r ui s e )
N or w eg i a n C r o wn i n B e r mu d a’s
waters on Wednesd ay (Jun 7). The
incident dominated the news agenda
after a day-long rescue operation to
free the 1vessel and 1,700 passengers
and c rew on b oar d th e N o r w e g i a n
C r o w n af t e r i t h i t a re e f w h i l e
attempting to enter the Dundonald
Channel between Spanish Point and
Do c k y a r d . T he c ru i s e s h i p w as
making its way from St. George’s to
Hamilton when she came to grief and
re mai n ed s tu ck on th e b ot to m f or
al mo s t 1 2 h o u rs b e f o r e h i g h ti d e
ev e n t u a l l y f r e e d t h e v e s s e l . A
preliminary investigation of the reef
that was s t ruc k by th e v es s el has
shown significant damage to the area
and widespread sediment churned up
by the rescue efforts to free the vessel
affect ing coral in t he s urround i ng
area. A full investigation is currently
being carried out by the Department
of M a r i t i m e A d m i n i s t r at i o n. Th e
Norwegian Crown sustained dents to
its hull as a result of the grounding,
but was deemed seaworthy and sailed
on schedule back to Philadelphia this
mo r n i n g . A s p o k e s w o ma n f o r
Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed the
vessel would be returning to Bermuda
next w eek t o conti nue i ts s ummer
cruise schedule.
NU C
London, Jun 10 — The captain of
fishing (general) Nu C , which crashed
on the North Jetty at Ocean Shores in
F e b r u a r y, was fined $9,000 by the
s t a t e D ep a r tm e n t o f E c o l o g y f o r
spilling about 575 gallons of diesel
fu e l a n d h y d r au l i c o i l i n t o G r ay s
H a r b o r. Ecology spokeswoman Sandy
Howard said the captain’s negligence
6
Marine
was to bl ame for the cras h. Ral p h
McGowen, was captain of the vessel at
the time, but was asleep while a crew
member was at the helm. McGowen
admitted that crew members had been
asleep when it crashed into the rocks
and the ma n at t he helm had al s o
dozed off. The ship’s owner, Richard
McGowen of Westport, was also asked
t o p a y $ 6 , 0 00 t o c o v e r t h e
d e p a r t m e n t ’s cost to respond to the
incident. Richard McGowen said he
thi nks the fines are unfair, but he
p l a ns t o ju s t l e t h i s i n s ur a n c e
c o mp a ny d e a l wi t h t h e m. “ T h e
i n s ur a n c e c o m p a n y a l re a d y p a i d
(about) $148,000 for federal Ecology
to come out. Now the state wants to
c o me i n a n d g e t th e i r s , ” h e s a i d .
“ O r i g i n a l l y, they could n’t find any
fuel, then they went back and had to
ch eck on h ow muc h fue l I b oug ht .
They want $6,000 for the work their
guys di d, but when I tal ked to the
guys around the boat and everything,
they said (Ecology) came down, looked
around and couldn’t find anything.”
Ec ol og y res p o nd er s s ay th ey wer e
u na bl e s t o p t he oi l s p i l l f ro m t h e
vessel because of rough seas. The oil
spill occurred a little more than a mile
away from the Oyehut Wildlife Area,
a s en s i t i v e a r e a f o r c oa s t a l f i s h ,
wildlife
a n d v eg et a t i o n .
The
department collected water samples
in the wild life area that turned up
trace amounts of weathered diesel.
“ We a re c onc ern ed f or ma ri ne li f e
anytime oil gets into water,”said Jim
Sachet, a manager in the Department
of Ecology’s spills response program.
“ C l e a r l y, this is an accident that never
should have happened.” Shewas stuck
o n t h e j e t t y f o r f o ur d a y s b e f o r e
responders could fill it with buoyant
material so it could be refloated and
towed to an Aberdeen shipyard, where
it was later scrapped.
OCEAN D. (Malta)
L on d on , J u n 1 2 — Fo l l o wi ng
received from Den Helder RCC, timed
2100, UTC: Bulker Ocean D. ( 1 6 4 6 5
g t , bu i l t 1 9 77 ) , bo u nd S r i La n k a ,
cargo 24,558 tonnes fertiliser, with 24
c r e w, reported in lat 12 17.88N, long
46 39.74E, with fire in engine-room.
Three generators are not working and
v es s e l h a s no p ow er an d d r i f ti n g .
Container carrier MSC Namibia is on
scene and assalt vessel HMS B u l w a r k
i s p r o c ee d i n g . Ow n er i s t r y i n g t o
a r r an g e t u g a s s i s t a n c e . (N o t e —
Oc ea n D . , U k ra i ne f or S r i La nk a ,
passed Suez Jun 7.)
0 117, UTC: Owners of bulker O c e a n
D . report that a tug is proceeding and
E TA scene noon.
0955, UTC: Bulker Ocean D. is in tow
o f t h e t ug Wa d i Ha teeb bo u nd f o r
Aden.
OCEAN SERAYA (Pa n a m a )
Lond on, J un 9 — A p res s rep ort ,
dated
t o d a y,
states:
De p ut y
Commissioner Ritesh Kumar Singh
said yesterday that the first oil tank
containing 310 tonnes of oil in bulker
Ocean Seraya had breached at the top
a n d b o t t o m. Th e r e wa s e v e r y
likelihood that the entire oil from the
tank had sp illed. It was now being
investigated whether the oil spill had
spread southward also. He said that
Captain Baijal, nautical adviser to the
Ministry of Shipping, visited the ship
y e s t e r d a y. As p e r h i s r ep o r t , t h e
salvage team had not opened the first
oil tank yet. A senior salvage expert,
Captain Van Essan, also arrived here.
A 25-member salvage team and three
e xp e rt s wer e e ng ag ed . He s a i d 20
t o n n es o f o i l w a s p u mp ed o u t
y e s t e rd a y f r o m t h e s e c on d t a n k .
Residents complained of a foul smell
o f o i l o n t h e be a c h . Th e D ep u t y
Commissioner said he would ask the
Pollution Control Board authorities to
look into the matter.
d a te d
t o d a y,
states:
D ep u t y
Commis sioner Ritesh Kumar Singh
said here yesterday that 88 tonnes of
oil had so far been pumped out from
Ocean Seraya , however, the quantity
of oil left in the ship after spillage
could not be ascertained, he said. All
the equipment required for pumping,
i nc l u d i n g t h o s e a r r i v e d fr o m
Singapore yesterday, had been loaded
on the ship to pump out the oil. The
generator of the ship installed on the
front portion and the cranes of the
ship were made operational. As such
the work of removing the oil from the
tanks could be faster, he hoped. Mr.
Singh said a few shrimp farmers had
complained that their shrimp ponds
had been polluted by oil spill and that
the shrimps in the pond had died.
from the managers of bulker O c e a n
S e r a y a , dated today: SMIT Salvage
BV are continuing to work to remove
b u n k e r oi l f r o m Oc ea n S er a ya .
Pumping from No 1 fuel tank directly
intothe fuel tanks of tug O n y x, which
is alongside, commenced on Jun 7 and
is ongoing. Salvors are also arranging
t o c o mm e n ce p u mp i n g f r om N o 2
bunker tank. SMIT also arranged for
extra equip ment to be available to
ensure the pumping is as efficient as
possible. It is also understood that
additional equipment, including disc
skimmers, for removal of oil from the
damaged tanks will be supplied by the
Indian Coast Guard Authority. The
I n te r n a t i o n al
Ta n k e r
O w n er s
Pollution Federation, who remain on
site providing expert assistance to all
involved in the incident, report that
their focus has been in assisting the
I n d i a n Co a s t G u a r d a nd l o c al
authorities. On Jun 8, ITOPF carried
o ut t ho ro u gh i ns p e ct i o ns o f th re e
separate beaches in Southern Goa. On
the first beach, Polem Beach, ITOPF
found only very scattered traces of oil
contamination, mostly tar balls . In
addition, there was no contamination
on any of the rocky shores adjacent to
t h e b e a ch . O n t h e s ec o n d be a c h
investigated, Talpona Beach, only the
occasional tar ball was found on the
upper shore. Given the fact that the
third beach examined, Palolem Beach,
i s a p r i me t o u ri s t l o c a t i o n i t i s
understandable that local authorities
expressed concern in the early stages.
On inspection, however, and further
to s o m e s m a l l - s c al e c l e a n up o f
scattered tar balls the previous week,
ITOPF found only one tar ball in this
l o ca t i on . I T OP F a l s o r ep o r t t ha t
fishing activity was observed at all
three inspection sites and there was
apparently no concern in the fishing
sector regarding oil contamination.
ITOPF is working clos ely with the
Pollution Control Board and sampling
of b e a c h s a nd a nd s e a w a t er i s
ongoing. It is reported that after the
I n d i an PC B t e s t e d s a m p l es o f
s ea wat er fr om D ev ba g h be ac h, no
detectable levels of oil pollution were
found.
ORANGE SEAWAY (Pa n a m a )
Lond on, Jun 13 — Gene ral ca rgo
Orange Seaway arrived Busan Jun 3
and sailed Jun 4.
PACIFIC SUN (Bahamas)
See “Outbreak Of Virus On Bahamas
PELANDER (Pa n a m a )
Lond on, Jun 13 — Vehicle carrier
P e l a n d e r arrived Eilat Jun 10.
PHILIPP (Antigua & Barbuda)
Falmouth, Jun 9 — General cargo
P h i l i p p is still in port at Falmouth.
ETD two weeks. — Lloyd’s Agents.
P R I O Z YORNYY (Russia)
dated today, states: Efforts are being
made to contain an oil spill off the
ea s t er n c o a s t o f t h e Ka m c ha t k a
Pen i ns ul a aft er p oa che rs s c ut tl e d
their vessel, fish carrier P r i o z y o r n y y,
in a bid to escape action from coast
g ua r d s , e m e r g e nc y s e r v i c e s s a i d
t o d a y. The spill, covering an area of
ro u g h l y 2 0 , 0 00 s q ua r e me t r e s , i s
floating north toward Russia’s coast
at a speed of 0.6 mph, a spokesman
said. The crew of P r i o z y o r n y y, which
was allegedly poaching crabs in the
Sea of Okhotsk, scuttled the vessel
Tu es d a y b y o p e n i n g ha t c h e s a n d
switching off the engines after a chase
involving helicopters and patrol ships.
Authorities boarded the ship as it was
sinking and confiscated a large illegal
haul of crabs. The 18-member crew,
including the master was picked up
from rescue rafts by a patrol ship and
ta k e n t o t h e r e g i on a l c e nt r e ,
P e t r o p a v l o v s k - K a m c h a t s k y,
for
questioning as part of a criminal case
opened by prosecutors.
dated today, states: An oil slick from
fish carrier P r i o z y o r n y y, which the
crew is suspected of scuttling to avoid
a c o a s t g u a rd c he c k , h as b ee n
eliminated in the Sea of Okhotsk, the
Kamchat ka emergenc y centre s ai d
t o d a y. It said close to two tons of fuel
leaked from the vessel and floated 3035 kilometres to the north in three
days. The slick of 200 to 150 metres
ca me fo u r k i l o me t re s c l o s e to t he
coast. The emergency centre said the
slick was treated with a sorbent and
oil products will fully disintegrate in
7
Marine
five days. The vessel sank on June 6
12 kilometres from the western coast
of K amch atk a a t a d ep t h of 50- 70
metres. The vessel was suspected of
p oachi ng and att empt ed to es cap e
c o as t g u a r d s . W h e n t h e g u a r d s
boarded the vessel they found a big
haul of crab onboard , but the ship
b eg an
to
s i nk .
A
c r i m i n al
investigation has been launched.
PXXI P21
Lond on, Jun 9 — A p res s repo rt,
d a t e d J un 8 , s t at e s : A m e s s a g e
received at Tristan da Cunha on May
22 fr om t he m as t er o f t ug M i g h t y
D e l i v e r e r said that due to bad weather
Mighty Deliverer was forced to release
platform PXXI P21 in alt 35 48S, long
13 35W to avoid risk to platform and
his tug. The platform was released at
sea unmanned with no onboard fuel,
t hu s c o n t a mi na t i o n f re e . E y e ba l l
c o nt a c t wi th t h e p l a t f or m wa s
maintained until May 10. However,
a f te r f ur t h e r b a d w ea t h e r t h e
platform started to draw away from
Mighty Deliverer . From May 16 the
tug had been searching for the ri g
and, the master reported it lost on
May 22. Another company tug R u b y
D e l i v e r e r assist in searching but had
found nothing. The platform is 104.9
me t r e s , b r e ad t h 1 0 3 . 6 3 m e t re s ,
draught 13 metres. The platform was
found at Tristan da Cunha on Jun 7
on the South East side of Tristan at
Tr i p o t G u l c h. T he p l a t f o r m wa s
v i s i t e d b y Tr i s t a n O f f i c i a l s t h i s
mo r n i n g .
It
is
g r ou n d e d
approximately 300 metres from the
shore. There does not appeared to be
any oil leaking, only a small diesel
slick, which is nothing to be concern
about at the moment, its also good
that the penguins have left the island
as it is grounded directly of the Tr i p o t
Rock Hopper penguin rookery. Ta l k s
are underway with its owners.
QUEEN OF THE NORTH (Canada)
dated Jun 9, states: BC Ferries has
made an offer on a vessel that could
be in service to replace the sunken
passenger ro/ro Queen of the North b y
the beginning of next year, if the deal
goes through. BC Ferries CEO David
Hahn said they have found a three-to
f o u r- y e a r-old vessel in Europe that
meets 80-90% of BC Ferries’ criteria.
“ I t ’s got capacity for vehicles,” said
Ha hn . “I t’s g o t g re a t c ap ac i t y fo r
passengers. It’s got great speed. He
said that “some of the things that will
be problematic is that how they load
and unload the vessels in Europe is
d i ff e r e n t th a n h er e . ” F ed e r al
investigators continue to examine the
sinking of Queen of the North , which
s ank in the early hours of M ar 22
after it crashed into an island south of
Prince Rupert. Ninety-nine of the 101
people on board were rescued. Tw o
passengers are missing and presumed
drowned.
dated today, states: B.C. Ferries has
received $67.9 million in insurance
c o mp en s a ti o n f o r t h e s i n k i n g o f
passenger ro/ro Queen of the North .
To d a y ’s news came as the corporation
announced its year-end results that
show net earnings of $49.9 million, up
$14.7 million compared to 2005. The
investigation into the sinking remains
stymied as two employees who were
o n t h e b r i d g e on t h e ni g ht o f t h e
sinking are not co-operating on the
advice of union lawyers who have told
t h e m n o t t o s p e a k . Th e f e d er a l
government continues to investigate
the incident, which has resulted in
two laws ui ts agains t B.C. Ferries.
C o n t r ov er s y s w i r l e d a b o ut t h e
o n g o i n g p r o b e l a s t w ee k a f t e r
allegations that not all of the crew
were
properly
f a mi l i a r
wi t h
navigation equipment on the ship’s
bridge. The insurance payment for
Queen of the North was received after
y ea r e nd , h o w ev er, a n d wi l l b e
recognized on the statements for the
f i r s t q ua r t e r o f 2 0 07 . To d a y ’s
s t a t em e n t s a i d a n i nt e r n a ti o na l
s e a r ch i s be i n g c on d uc t e d f or a
replacement vessel but news reports
last week indicate a vessel has been
found in Spain and could be in service
as s oon as January. Jack ie M il ler,
president of B.C. Ferry and Marine
Workers’ Union, said the cost of the
Spanish vessel could be around $45
m i l l i o n , wi th a n a d d i t i on a l $ 3 0 million for maintenance. The company
s a id $6. 6 mil li on o f the i ns uranc e
payout was recorded as a receivable
while the balance will be shown on
the 2007 balance sheet.
SAMMARINA M. (Romania)
Bucharest, Jun 14 — The owners of
r o / r o S a m ma r i n a M. a d v i s e t h a t
repairs / reconversion have not been
completed yet. Also advised that the
e s t i m at e d t i me o f c o mp l e t i o n o f
repairs is not known at present. —
SAMSKIP COURIER
(Antigua & Barbuda)
See S k a g e r n.
S A R A S WATI (Indonesia)
Jakarta, Jun 15 — Bulker S a r a s w a t i
(20643 gt, built 1986) sailed from Port
of Panjang at 2230, local time, Jun 8,
b o u n d f o r S u ra l ay a. Ves s e l w a s
grounded at 0330, local time, Jun 9,
at Sunda Strait. Extent of damage:
the ballast tank no. 3 and 4 on the
s t a r bo a r d
side
w e re
torn
a p p r o x i m a t e l y 5 0 cm . S a r a s w a t i
d is charged some cargo to barg e at
grounded point. Vessel was towed to
Suralaya around 1325, local time, Jun
12. Vessel discharged the remaining
cargo at Suralaya. Vessel was towed
to Merak Jun 13, for repair purpose
until now. — Lloyd’s Agents.
SCAN BOTHNIA (Isle of Man)
S ee “ M i l i t a ry E q ui p m en t S e i z e d
From Isle Of Man-Flagged Vessel At
Derince,
Tu r k e y ”
u nd e r
“Miscellaneous.”
SEA-LAND VOYAGER
(Marshall Islands)
S e e “ D r ug s F ou n d O n M a r s h a l l
I s l and s Ve s s el A t M um bai , I nd i a ”
under “Miscellaneous”.
SEBA M. (Lebanon)
London, Jun 13 — Bulker S eba M.
sailed Bourgas Jun 9.
S E T S U YO STAR (Bahamas)
Cape Town, Jun 13 — Understand
bulker Setsuyo S tar (88921 gt, built
1985), currently in False Bay, Cape
town, had water ingress into number
1 compartment and it would appear
that cracks have developed in its shell
plating with frames having tripped in
this area. We furthermore understand
that local repairers Dormac have been
contracted to investigate and propose
repairs which will possibly require
t h e p l a c i n g o f a c of f e r d a m . I t i s
envis aged that this op erati on may
take s everal weeks to compl ete. —
L l o y d ’s Agents. (Note — Setsuyo Star
sailed Sepetiba Term. May 27.)
Piraeus, Jun 15 — Bulker S e t s u y o
S t a r wa s on vo yage from S ep etiba
Terminal to China with a cargo of iron
o r e w he n s t r uc t u r a l d am a g e w a s
observed in No 1 hold. Vessel went to
s he l t er i n F a l s e B a y a n d L l o y d ’s
Standard Form contract was signed
with Tsavliris Jun 14. Repairs are to
b e c arr i ed o ut to en abl e v es s e l to
continue its voyage. A naval architect
is due this afternoon and damage will
b e as s e s s ed . How ev er, t her e i s no
p ol l u t i o n or w a t er i n g r e s s a n d
damage is not believed to be serious.
— Tsavliris Salvage (International)
Ltd.
Piraeus, Jun 15 — Bulker S e t s u y o
S t a r : Tug Smit Amandla is standing
b y on s c e n e. — Ts a v l i r i s S a l v a g e
(International) Ltd.
S H A K H DAG (Malta)
from Coastguard Solent MRSC, timed
1128, UTC: Combined chemical and
oil tank S h a k h d a g (10321 gt, built
1 9 9 9) , l o ad e d w i t h f ue l oi l , a n d
chemical tanker Wi l l y (4973 gt, built
2003), in ballast, were in collision in
lat 50 30N, long 00 13.8W, at 1009,
UTC, Jun 9. S h a k h d a g sustained bow
d am ag e a n d i s n o w p ro c e ed i ng t o
P o r t l a nd , ETA 1 80 0 , U T C. Wi l l y
s u s t ai n ed d am ag e t o mi d s e ct i o n,
including a crack in way of a ballast
tank. The vessel is now proceeding to
S t a n l o w.
London, June 9 — A Maritime and
C o a s t g u a r d A g e nc y p re s s r e l e a s e
s t at e s : A t 11 2 0 , B S T, Do v e r
Coastguard identified on their radar
screens that two vessels had been in
c o l l i s i on s o me 2 0 mi l e s s o u t h o f
S ho r e h a m.
The
vessels
w er e
i m m e d i a t e l y c on t a c t ed b y th e
Coastguard who both confirmed that
they had collided. Chemical tanker
Wi l l y , which was in ballast, reported
m i n o r d a m ag e , w h i c h i s a s p l i t
midships in the ballast tank along the
upper deck. Combined chemical and
oi l t ank S h a k h d a g , has a car go of
diesel oil on board. This vessel has
sustained some superficial damage to
its main deck on the stern and some
upper deck equipment. Both vessels
are now proceeding under their own
p o w e r. T he C oa s t g u ar d r e s cu e
helicopter Victor Alpha from Lee on
Solent was scrambled to overfly the
8
Marine
area, and has confirmed that there is
n o l e ak a g e f r o m e i t h e r v es s e l ,
although the area will be monitored.
A Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Surveyor has now been airlifted by
the helicopter to S h a k h d a g to inspect
it to ensure that it is safe to enter
Portland to discharge its cargo. Wi l l y
is on passage to a refinery at Stanlow.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency
have put their Counter Pollution team
on standby. The Secretary of State’s
Re p re s en ta ti v e i s wo rk i ng c lo s el y
with the M aritime and Coas tguard
A g e nc y i n t h i s i n c i d en t , a n d t h e
French Maritime Administration have
offered any assistance if required.
from Coastguard Solent MRSC, timed
1425, UTC: Combined chemical and
oil tank S h a k h d a g is bound Portland
i n l a t 5 0 29 . 4N , l o ng 00 56 .3 W. A
s urv ey or i s board ing for a d amag e
a s s e s s me n t a t 1 3 1 9 , U TC . Ve s s e l
cleared to enter Portland. Chemical
t a nk er Wi l l y n o w d i v e rt e d t o
R o tt e r d am f o r a f ur t h e r d a m a g e
ass ess ment, p ositi on l at 50 27.3N,
long 00 41W, speed nine knots.
Wi l l y arrived Rotterdam Jun 10.
L on d on , J u n 1 4 — C o mb i n e d
c h em i c a l an d o i l t an k S h a k h d a g
p ass ed Bruns buttel Jun 12, bound
Tallinn.
S KAGERN (Sweden)
London, June 9 — A press report,
d a t e d J u n e 8 , s ta t e s : Two s h i p s
(general cargo S k a g e r n, 4426 gt, built
1983, not as reported in issue of June
9) and general cargo Samskip Courier
collided in thick fog close to Salt End,
on t he Ri ve r Humber at 230 0 la s t
night. One ship (Skagern) had a cargo
of copper and timber, the second was a
c on t a i ne r v es s e l . I n i t i a l l y, i t wa s
thought the ship carrying the timber
wa s ab out to s i nk af ter ta ki n g o n
w a t e r. Two tugs towed the stricken
s hi p t o K i n g G eo r g e d oc k , wh e r e
repairs will be made. The other ship,
with minor damage, made its way to
Spurn Point and left the Humber. No
one was injured. (Note — According to
LMIU AIS Samskip Courier was in lat
52 13.3N, long 03 28. 24E, at 1001
t o d a y, course 123.3 degrees , s peed
13.8 knots, bound Rotterdam where
E TA 1400 today. )
L on d on , J u n 9 — O w ne r s a n d
Managers of the 4426 gt, 1983 built
general cargo S k a g e r n, report that the
vessel, with pil ot on board, was in
collision with general cargo S a m s k i p
C o u r i e r, also with pilot on board, at
midnight on We d n e s d a y, Jun 7. in the
River Humber. The S k a g e r n was on
passage from Sweden to the Port of
H ul l wi t h l u m b er p ro d uc t s a n d
c o p p e r. As a result of the collision, No
1 c a r g o ho l d w a s b r e a c he d w i t h
ingress of water, causing the vessel to
be down by the head. With two tugs in
attendance, the S k a g e r n p r o c e e d e d
through the locks at approx 0215 on
Jun 8, making fast at King George
Dock at approx 0530. By 0800, local
time, Jun 9, the vessel was a further a
further 1.5 metres down by the head
a n d l i s t i n g t o w a rd s t h e d o c k . A l l
possible areas for further ingress of
water affecting stability have been
sealed by the crew and it is believed
the S k a g e r n remains stable. Salvage
company United Salvage are on site.
There is no polluti on rep orted and
there were no injuries. Ahlmark Lines
A B w i s h e s t o t h a n k t h e l o c al
authorities for responding so promptly
and professionally to this incident.
L o nd o n , Ju n 9 — G en e r a l c a r g o
S k a g e r n i s s t i l l t a k i n g o n w a t e r.
A tt emp t s to re mov e t he car g o ar e
c o n t i n ui n g . — U n i t e d S a l v a g e
Limited.
L ond on, J un 11 — Gen eral carg o
S amskip Courier arrived Rotterdam
Jun 9.
Lo ndo n, Jun 15 — Genera l carg o
Samskip Courier arrived Tilbury Jun
14 and sailed the same day.
S N U V I T- 1 6 0 8
dated today, states: Two workers were
killed and and one was injured in an
e x p l o s i o n i n an oi l b a rg e , P DV S A
confirmed yesterday. The explosion,
Monday (Jun 12) night, happened at
the wharf at Las Morochas, when the
w o r k e rs
w e re
carrying
out
mai ntenance t o the s ys tem of fuel
s torag e of the barge. Neverthel ess
“the operational activities” in the lake
were not affected, informed the state
c o m p a n y.
dated Jun 13, states: Investigations
are under way to determine the cause
of an explosion and subsequent fire of
an oil barge (tank barge S n u v i t - 1 6 0 8)
in Ciudad Ojeda, northwestern Zulia
state, that killed two people and left
another injured late yesterday, local
authorities reported. The barge was
owned by CPVEN, a contractor with
Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA. The
blast came during maintenance of a
fuel tank. Lagunillas Fire Department
c h i e f c o mm a n d e r A l e x i s C ha c o n
es timated the incid ent res ulted in
serious material losses.
S O U M YA (India)
M umb ai, Jun 9 — Barg e S o u m y a
remains grounded off Miramar beach.
S PAR JADE (NIS)
Accra, Jun 10 — Bulker Spar Jad e
( 1 8 0 11 gt, built 1985) grounded at the
p o rt o f Te ma J u n 9 wh i l e c o m i n g
a l o n g s i d e . Di v e r s a r e c u r r e nt l y
inspecting the vessel. Other vessels
which are alongside are unable to sail.
S PAR ORION (NIS)
L o nd o n , J un 1 0 — B u l k e r S p a r
O r i o n arrived Port Arthur Jun 8. (See
issue of Jun 2.)
STEEL GLORY (Bahamas)
S e e “ U n i te d S ta t es ” u n d e r “ P or t
State Control”.
SUMIT 3
d a ted J un 11, s t at es : A fer ti l i s erladen cargo vessel caught by strong
wind caps ized in Sand wi p channel
ne a r K u mi r a g h a t i n t h e B a y o f
Be n g a l y e s t e r d a y mo r n i n g . Po r t
sources s aid cargo ves sel S umi t 3 ,
loading 700 tons of imported fertilisers
from a foreign ves sel, was heading
towards Jes sore when strong wi nd
caught it at about 1000, local time. A
Navy vessel rescued the 16 crew. The
vessel, loaded with fertilisers worth 60
lakh, could not be salvaged.
d a t e d t o d a y, s t at e s : A f e r t i l i s e rcarrying vessel of inland water route
sank at Swandip Channel of the Bay
of Bengal, Chittagong district, 224 km
south-east of Dhaka yesterday, the
official news agency BSS reported.
Co n t r ol Ro o m of C h i t t a g o n g Po r t
Authority and the owner of the vessel
was quoted as saying that all the 16
crew of the vessel were rescued by a
Bangladesh Navy ship, which rushed
to th e s p o t i m me d i a te l y af t er t he
accident. “General cargo Sumit 3 , also
reported asS u m i - 3 , sank but the crew
ar e n o w s af e a n d t h e y a re b e i n g
brought to shore by the Navy ship,”
s ai d J a mal H os s ai n , o wn er of t he
vessel. Sources said the vessel loaded
wit h 70 0 to nnes o f fe rti l i ze rs l os t
ba l a n c e a nd s a n k a f t e r f a l l i n g i n
heavy rolling in the sea at about 0700
hrs. The crew sent SOS signal to the
owner and CPA, and the Navy ship
rushed to the spot to carry out rescue
operation following the information
from the CPA. Efforts are on to rescue
the vessel, the sources said.
SUPERFERRY II (Greece)
London, Jun 13 — Lloyd’s Casualty
representatives in Piraeus report: At
104 0 hr s , Ju n 12 , p as s eng er ro/ ro
S up erferry II (4986 gt, bui lt 1974)
sustained damage to the turbocharger
of t he p o r t m a i n e n g i ne af t e r
departing from Andros at 1015 hrs for
Ti no s - M y k on o s .
Following
th e
incident the vessel returned to Rafina
ar r i v i n g a t 14 0 0 hr s , w i t h 22 3
p a s s e ng er s wh i ch w e r e l at e r
forwarded to their d es tinations on
board S ea J et II for Ti n o s - M y k o n o s
an d H i g h S p eed I II f o r Ti n o s Mykonos-Naxos-Paros. Passengers for
th e c an c e l l e d r e tu r n v oy a g e w er e
forwarded on board Anthi Marina f o r
Mykonos-Piraeus, M a r i n a for Ti n o s Piraeus and Aqua J ewel for AndrosRafina.
Piraeus, Jun 13 — Passenger ro/ro
S uperferry II sustained mechanical
fa i l u re o n i t s l e f t m ai n e n g i n e
y e s t e r d a y. The vessel had sailed from
Andros and was destined to Tinos and
Mykonos islands. Finally the vessel
berthed safely at Rafina port the same
d a y a t 1 4 0 0 h r s . Th e l o ca l p o r t
aut horiti es p rohi bited the ves s el’s
departure until inspection by its class
surveyor and repair of the damages.
TA PATIO (Liberia)
re c e i v e d f r o m C o a s t G u ar d Ne w
Orleans, timed 1420, UTC: Chemical
tanker Ta p a t i o (26914 gt, built 2003)
l o s t s t ee r i n g i n Ho u s t o n S hi p
Channel, Light 152, at about 0730,
UTC, yesterday. Tugs assisted vessel
9
Marine/Piracy
to Houston. Class society inspected
vessel and deemed it safe to proceed.
T I R TA NIAGA I (Indonesia)
dated today, s tates: An Indonesian
cargo vessel in “apparent distress”,
has anchored about ten nautical miles
off Paradip port, awaiting assistance,
Pa r ad i p Po rt Tr us t ( PP T) s o ur ce s
said. Ta t a n i y a g a - i (? product tanker
Tirta Niaga I (3684 gt, built 1975),
carrying about 5,900 tonnes of palm
oi l, was on i ts way to Hal d ia Por t
when it developed problems near the
s an d he a d s . T he v e s s e l w a s t h e n
diverted towards Paradip. The PPT
authorities said they were yet to be
informed about the kind of problem
the Indonesian vessel was facing. “We
are yet to hear from the vessel and
the moment we are requested , our
engineers will go and attend to the
vessel”, the sources said. The vessel,
h o w e v e r, will not come to the port and
after rep airs will go back to either
Haldi a or Kolkata Port, they s aid .
(Note — Tirta Niaga I sailed Panjang
May 28 and arrived Kolkata Jun 10.)
TRANS ARCTIC (NIS)
S e e “ B r i t t a ny, F ra n c e ”
“Pollution”.
u nd e r
VAN GOGH (Marshall Islands)
See “Outbreak of Virus on Marshall
I s l a n d s F l a g g e d Ve s s e l ” u nd e r
VINLAND (Canada)
London, Jun 12 — Crude oil tanker
Vi n l a n d (76567 gt, built 2000), had a
blow back fire in incinerator room in
l a t 4 6 5 9 5 7 N, l o ng 5 4 2 4 2 7W a t
1 8 27 , U TC , J u n 1 0. Th e f i re w a s
extinguished within 10 minutes. One
man was injured.
dated
J un
13,
s t a t es :
The
Tra n s p o r t at i on S a f e ty B oa r d o f
Canada will not investigate a small
weekend (Jun 10-11) fi re on board
c r ud e o i l t a n k e r Vi n l a n d o f f
Newfoundland. She was heading to
t h e r ef i ne r y i n Co m e By Ch a n c e ,
P l a c e nt i a B ay, w h en a f i r e w a s
reported in the incinerator-room. A
crew member was taken to hospital
and treated for mi nor burns. John
Cottreau, a public affairs official with
the TSB, said an individual on board
the ship put a flammable item into
t h e i nc i n e r a t o r. T h a t b u i l t u p
pressure, which resulted in a small
fire. Cottreau said there is no need for
further investigation because there
are no problems involving the safety
of the ship.
V I S TAMAR (Malta)
L on d on , J u n 1 5 — I n f or m a t i o n
r e c ei v e d f r o m K i e l , d a t ed t o d ay,
states: Passenger (cruise) Vi s t a m a r
(7478 gt, built 1989) ran aground in
the Kiel Canal when proceeding to the
r e p a i r y a r d a t 0 8 0 0, M a y 2 8 ,
Hohenhorn. The canal traffic in the
area had been blocked for one and a
half hours until the tug Bugsier 11
a r r i v e d f r om Br u n s b u t t e l a n d
refloated the vessel. Vessel left Kiel at
1 8 0 0 , J u n 1 3 . ( N ot e — Vi s t a m a r
a r r i v e d Ki el 1 6 00 , M a y 2 8 a nd
subsequently arrived Hamburg Jun 14
from Ki el and sa il ed s ame day for
Bergen.)
V I TAFOS (Pa n a m a )
Bremen, Jun 14 — Bulker Vi t a f o s
(35378 gt, built 1981) while leaving
t h e Br e m en i n d us t r i a l p o r t , i n
col lision with a land -bui lding, this
afternoon. Two frames of the vessel
are said to have been damaged. The
vessel is at present lying at Osterort
for repairs. — Lloyd’s Agents. (Note —
Vi t a f o sarrived Brake Jun 5.)
V OYAGEUR INDEPENDENT
(Canada)
Montreal, Jun 13 — Bulker Vo y a g e u r
I n d e p e n d e n t (12296 gt, built 1952), up
bound into the Great Lakes, when it
had a steering gear failure today and
struck the causeway for the St. Louis
Bridge. This is close to Valleyfield in
t he S eaw ay, a p p ro x im at el y 80 k m
from Montreal. The vessel is at the
anchorage awaiting inspection etc. —
L l o y d ’s Agents. (Note — According to
L l o y d ’s
MIU
AIS
Vo y a g e u r
I n d e p e n d e n t was stationary in lat 45
1 3 26 . 3 4N , l o n g 7 4 0 1 17 . 1 6W, a t
1945, UTC, today. )
dated today, states: Bulker Vo y a g e u r
Independent struck a bridge southwest
o f M o nt r ea l h as en d e d u p w i th a
damaged hull. The accident also closed
the Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague bridge,
which was damaged. No one on board
Voya geur Ind ep end ent was injured
when the ship struck a pillar on the
bridge. The ship drop ped anchored
near the bridge after the accident and
it has been ordered to remain there
u nt i l i t h a s b ee n i n s p e ct e d . A
Transport Canada spokesman says the
bulk carrier, which was empty, left
Sorel and was headed to Hamilton,
O nt a ri o , to be l oa d e d . He s ay s
preliminary information suggests a
steering problem may have caused the
accident.
WILHELMINA (Netherlands)
1815, UTC: Fishing Wi l h e l m i n a ( 5 3
gt, built 1963), 21 metres long, was
reported at 1410, local time, today, to
have sunk in lat 52 56.3N, long 04
34.8E. One person died, five found
safe on a beach.
W I L LY (Gibraltar)
See S h a k h d a g .
WINDOC (Canada)
Tr o y, Michigan, Jun 13 — The hull of
bulk Wi n d o c , an old laker that became
a constructive total loss as a result of
a fire. The engine-room was cut off
and the vessel is in Montreal being
used as a storage barge for grain, is
s c he d ul e d t o be m o v ed t o P o r t
C o l b o r ne , ar r i v i n g o n J u n 1 8 .
I nternat ional M arine S al vage wi ll
r e m ov e t he fi r e- d a ma g e d s t e r n
s ec ti on. I t i s u nd eci d ed i f S eawa y
Marine Transport will notch the hull
and p ush Wi n d o c as a barge, or to
attach a new stern section to provide
power and accommodations. — Great
Lakes & Seaway News.
YARD NO.203 ODENSE (DIS)
Copenhagen, Jun 12 — A fire broke
out on board container carrier Ya r d
No.203 Od ense (93500 gt) at 1900,
local time, Jun 9. According to local
p r e s s r ep o r t s , t h e f i r e s t a r t ed i n
dunnage wood in the wheelhouse. The
fire spread through the wheelhouse,
destroying all the equipment. The fire
wa s e xti ngui s hed by th e loc al fi re
br i g ad e , a s s i s t ed b y tu g S t e v n s
I c e f l o w e r, which was on timecharter
to SvitzerWi j s m u l l e r. The yard have
said that the vessel will be delayed,
but there is no information about the
length of the delay. — Correspondent.
d a t e d t od a y, s t a t es : De l i v e r y o f
container carrier Yard No.203 Odense
is exp ected to be delayed after the
ship, under construction at Odense
shipyard, was severely damaged in a
fi re last week. Finn Buus Niels en,
managing director at the yard, said
the cause of the fire was still under
investigation, although the yard’s own
internal inquiry suggested that the
fi r e ma y ha v e s t a rt e d w he n
v en t i l a ti o n h os e s i g n i t e d i n th e
engine- room d uri ng weld ing work.
Th e e x t e nt t o w h i ch t he v e s s el i s
delayed will depend on repair options,
he said. The ship, which is believed to
ha v e a no m i n a l c a p a c i t y c l o s e t o
13,000 teu, was due to start sea trials
next month. One possibility would be
to replace the accommodation block
with one from the next ship in the
newbuilding series, but this woul d
depend on lifting capacity necessary
to remove the damaged unit. Although
there were people working on Ya r d
No.203 Od ense when the fire broke
ou t , t h e r e we r e n o i n ju r i e s a n d
evacuation procedures worked well,
M r N e i l s en s ai d . A s i d e f r o m th e
accommodation block and the enginero o m , t h e b ri d g e ha s a l s o b ee n
damaged. The fire was put out by the
local fire brigade, assisted by the tug
S tevn s Ic ef l ow er , wh i c h wa s o n
timecharter to SvitzerWi j s m u l l e r.
SOMALIA
dated today, states: Product tanker
Lin I , the Emirati vessel flying the
Panama crest, hijacked by Somalian
pirates on Mar 29, will be released
withi n a week, reports s ai d. There
were 19 crew members on board the
vessel. Representatives of the pirates
an d a n u n i d e nt i f i e d S om a l i a n
businessman yesterday arrived at an
agreement after the latter agreed to
cough up a ransom of $500,000. The
negotiati ons took pl ace in Gann, a
Somalian village 400km north of the
10
Piracy/Port State Control/Seizures & Arrests/Pollution
capital
Mogad ishu,
Andrew
M wa n g u r a,
of
the
S e a f ar e r s
A s s i s t an c e Pr o g ra m me , s a i d . “ We
r e c ei v e d i n f or m a t i o n y e s t e r d ay
morning that the the pirates decided
t o r el e as e L i n I a f t er a S o ma l i
busi nessman offered half a million
dollars as ransom. It is not clear as to
how the money will be handed over to
the pirates. Normally, the money will
n o t b e t r a n s f e r r e d i n S o ma l i a .
P r o b a b l y, the money will be paid in
U A E o r i n K e n y a , ” M wa n g u r a
disclosed. According to reports from
Somalia, the Lin I was sailing slowly
off Somalian territorial waters near
E l y, a village between El Maan port
a n d Ob y o wh e n i t w as o v e r r u n .
M wa n g u r a d i s c l o s e d th a t t h e
settlement had taken time because
t h e S om a l i a n bu s i n e s s ma n h a d
employed armed militia in a bid to
free the vessel. “On Jun 1, there was a
heavy shootout between militia and
pirates and two persons were killed
a n d tw o i n ju r e d . Th e 1 9 - m em b e r
Filipino crew of the vessel are still
safe and on board. The crew members
are suffering now without food and
w a t e r. The pirates do not allow them
to eat more than once a day.” Gunmen
stormed the fuel tanker brandishing
AK-47s as the vessel left El Ade port
after off-loading its cargo. The pirates
demanded a ransom thought to be in
the region of $400,000. On Apr 15, the
pirates killed a Somali negotiating
with them for the vess el’s releas e,
s ta l l i n g m e d i a t i o n e f f o r ts . T h e
negotiator was gunned down in broad
daylight in Gann, a coastal town some
18 km north of Haradhera district.
UNITED STAT E S
from Coast Guard New Orleans, timed
1520, UTC: Bulker Steel Glory ( 2 3 5 3 6
gt, built 1984) has been detained at
New Orleans due to nine deficiencies.
( N o t e — S teel Gl o r y a r r i v e d N e w
Orleans Jun 5.)
r e c ei v e d f r o m C o as t Gu a r d N e w
Orleans, ti med 1430, UTC: Bul ker
Steel Glory remains under detention
at New Orleans.
from Coast Guard New Orleans, timed
1 42 0 , U T C: B ul ke r S teel G l o r y
r em ai n s un d e r d e t en t i on at N e w
Orleans, and is now reloading cargo.
A F I YA (Malta)
Zeebrugge, Jun 14 — Refrigerated
general cargo A f i y a (4371 gt, buil t
1990), arrived Antwerp 1752, Jun 9,
and was placed under arrest/embargo
at 2037, same day. Arrest/embargo
l i f ted a t 1 35 3, J un 12, an d s ai l ed
2 3 1 5 , s a m e d a y, f o r A be r d ee n . —
L l o y d ’s Sub-agents.
BREEZE (Belize)
London, Jun 9 — Belize Registrar
reported that the Belize registry of
fishing (general) B r e e z e was cancelled
on Jan 28, 2003. The registry have
launched an inves tigation with the
Port Authorities in Korsakov, Russia.
FARLEY MOWAT (Canada)
d a te d J u n 1 4, l o c a l t i m e , s t a te s :
Res ear ch Far l ey Mowa t whi ch has
been under detention in Cape To w n
harbour for more than four months
has been rel eased to s ail from the
p o rt . A co mp r om i s e h as n ow bee n
re ache d a ll owi ng Fa rl ey Mowa t t o
s a i l , p r o v i d e d a S o ut h Af r i c a n licensed master takes the vessel out of
Cape Town to Saldanha and later out
o f S o u t h Af r i ca n w a te r s be f o r e
handing over to the regular vessel’s
m a s t e r.
M A LTESE FALCON (Malta)
London, Jun 14 — Roll On Roll Off
Maltese Falcon sailed Valletta Jun 11.
PACIFIC SUN II (Pa n a m a )
Karachi, Jun 13 — The honorable
Sindh High Court (SHC) has ordered
arrest of bulker Pacific Sun II ( 1 3 5 8 6
g t , b u i l t 1 98 1 ) , f or r e co v e r y o f
c omp ens at io n o f $ 50, 00 0. A l o cal
i m p o r t e r-Chawala International of
Karachi, has filed a petition in local
court that it has imported sugar form
India and sugar worth of $50,000 was
d amaged during voyage. The court
h a s f i x e d Ju n 1 9 f o r h e ar i ng a nd
a s ke d the ve s s el ow ner to d e p os i t
c lai m mone y f or rel ea s e of v es s el .
A c c o rd i n g t o Ka r a c hi Po r t , a nd
Shipping agent, the Pacific Sun II h a s
already left Karachi port around 1900
hours, Jun 12, for Kandala. — Lloyd’s
List Correspondent. (Note — P a c i f i c
Sun II arrived Karachi Jun 7.)
PAULIJING (Belize)
London, Jun 9 — The Belize Registry
reported today: As the result of our
intervention, the owners of general
cargo P a u l i j i n g are in direct contact
with the ITF, since May 24, in order to
r e s o l v e t h e c r e w p r ob l e m s a n d t o
ensure the safety of the crew. We have
also intervened on the matter of the
cargo and are in correspondence with
th e owners in o rd er to arr iv e at a
satisfactory solution and to ensure the
safety of the vessel.
SCAN BOTHNIA (Isle of Man)
S e e “ M i l i t a r y E qu i p me n t S e i z e d
From Isle Of Man-Flagged Vessel At
D e r i n c e,
Tur k e y ”
under
BOURGAS, BULGARIA
london, Jun 13 — Crude oil tanker
Hawaiian Leader sailed Varna Jun 13.
B R I TTA N Y, FRANCE
L o n d o n , J u n 9 — N o rw e g i a n
chemical tanker operator Seatrans
has been hit by a second fine for the
same pollution offence after failing to
p e r s u a d e a F r e nc h c o u rt to d r o p
proceedings following a conviction for
the same offence in Norway. Seatrans,
recently fined NKr2.8m ($414,000) in
N or w a y f o r a p o l l u t i o n o f f e nc e
involving its vessel combined chemical
and oil tank Tr ans Arctic has been
to l d t o p a y a f u r t h er E 4 0 0 , 00 0
($468,000) by a court in Brest despite
its lawyer’s plea that it should not be
jud ged twi ce for the same offence.
According to a local report the court
overruled the public prosecutor, who
pleaded in favour of dropping the case
on the recommendation of the French
Justice Ministry. The prosecutor was
unavailable to confirm this yesterday.
The court recognised the exceptional
na t u r e of t h e c a s e b y o r d e r i n g
payment of E50,000 and suspending
payment of the remainder of the fine,
but re-jected the company’s plea that
th e F re n ch p r os ec ut i o n s ho ul d be
d r o p p ed al t o g e th e r f ol l o w i n g th e
Norwegian judgment. The case had
already set a precedent last October
when the trial of the master before a
court in Brest was postponed a few
days before it was due to open after a
cl aim f rom N orwa y t o ex erc is e i ts
prerogative as flag state to deal with
it. The Norwegian move was attacked
by
F r en c h
e n v i r o n me n t a l
or g a n i s a ti o ns a t t h e t i m e a s a n
attempt to circumvent the proceedings
before the court in Brest, which has
been the target of criticism from the
shipping sector for the tough line it
has taken in recent months in cases of
p o l l u t i o n o f f t h e F r e nc h A t l a n t i c
coas t. N orway inv ok ed the Un ite d
Nati ons law o f the s ea co nvent ion
s ig ne d in M ont eg o Ba y i n 1 982 to
ju s t i f y i t s a c t i o n . A l aw y e r
representing a French environmental
as sociati on said after We d n e s d a y ’s
(Jun 7) hearing in Bres t, however:
“T he M o nt eg o Ba y gh o s t s hi p h as
been sent to the bottom. Montego Bay
only applies to the high sea. Marpol is
what counts.” The court ruled that the
fa c t t he c as e h a d b e e n t r i e d i n
Norway did not prevent it proceeding
in Fr ance a s was the ca s e for any
ot h e r o f f e n c e c o m mi t t e d w i t h i n
French jurisdiction. With regard to
the Montego Bay convention, it noted
that France was perfectly within its
rights to legislate against pollution in
its waters and to take proceed ings
against any party not respecting that
l e g i s l a t i o n . I t ar g u e d f ur t h e r,
h o w e v e r, t ha t t h e M o n t eg o B a y
11
Pollution/Weather & Navigation
convention was a legal text creating
obligations in international public
l a w b e t we e n s t at e s a nd t h a t a n
accused party had no right as such to
claim to benefit from its provisions.
Seatrans managi ng d irector Johan
Hvide said yesterday that the
c o mp a ny w a s w a i t i n g t o s t u d y a
t r a ns l a t i o n o f t h e c o u rt ø s r u l i ng
before deciding whether to appeal. He
admitted, however, that he had been
“ v e r y s u r p r i s e d ” ! by t h e c ou r t ’s
decision to prosecute for an offence
which the comp any cons idered had
already been dealt with by the most
appropriate authority, namely the flag
state. “It is a matter of principle for
us,” he added. The 1991-built, 5,025
gt Trans Arctic was spotted from the
a i r a t t he h e a d o f a 3 8 k m l o ng
pol lution slick off the port of La
Rochelle on March 17, 2005. The court
in Brest ord ered the mas ter of the
Tr a ns Ar cti c t o p a y 1 0 % o f t h e
E 4 00 , 0 0 0 fi ne a n d a l s o aw a r d e d
d a m a g e s r a n g i n g f r o m E5 , 0 0 0 t o
E10,000 to eight environmental and
other local organisations which had
initiated civil proceedings against the
v e s s e l ’s master and owner.
PRUDHOE BAY, ALASKA,
UNITED STAT E S
London, Jun 9 — British oil major
B P i s f a c i n g a g r an d j u ry
investigation and criminal probe into
last March’s oil spill in Alaska. BP’s
he a d of Al a s k a n o p er at i o ns S te v e
M a rs h al l s e nt a no te to s t af f t hi s
week asking them to co-operate with
the federal investigation that could
l e a d t o c ou r t a ct i on a n d c r i mi na l
charges. In March, corrosion on one of
BP Al a s k a’s t ra ns i t l i ne s l e d to a
6,430 barrel (240,000 gallon) oil spill
i n t o s n o w a nd i c e. T h e c o mp a ny
quickly cleared up the spill after it
w a s s p ot t e d b y a n e mp l o y e e o n a
regular inspection. But the damage
was done to the environment and BP’s
reputation. At BP’s annual meeting in
April, the company’s chairman Peter
Sutherland told shareholders the spill
occurred despite the company’s strong
inspection
a nd
m a i n t en a n c e
programmes. “There was a spillage
f r o m c o r r o s i on a n d a ho l e i n t h e
pipeline of a diameter of less than a
5p coi n,” M r Su therl and s ai d. “An
area of les s than two acres of land
w a s r em e d i ed af t e r w ar d s . ” A B P
spokesman confirmed that federal and
state agencies were investigating the
spill. He disclosed that BP Alaska had
received a subpoena from a federal
grand jury to supply data and records
a b ou t
the
pipeline
a nd
its
maintenance.
CHINA
d a t e d t o d a y, s ta t e s : F l o o d s a n d
landslides have killed more than 50
people in southern China in recent
days, according to official state media.
I n Fuji an provi nce 41 peop le were
killed in floods yesterday, according to
t h e o f f i c i a l n e w s ag e n c y X i nh u a .
M uds l id es al so ki ll ed a further 12
people in Wuzhou, in Guangxi region.
At least 24 people were injured. The
government has estimated that this
s u m m e r ’s floods are the worst in three
d e ca d e s i n s om e p a rt s o f C h i n a .
Heavy rains have already forced more
than 400,000 people from their homes.
F l o o d s h a v e a l s o d e s t r o y e d 9, 3 0 0
h o u s e s a nd r u i n e d c r o p s o n s o m e
100,000 hectares of farmland, Xinhua
s ai d . Wea t h er f o re c a s t e rs p r e d i c t
the re is l ittl e rel ie f in s i ght, wi th
more heavy rainfall expected over the
weekend. Early yesterday morning, 11
villages were flooded with water up to
two met res deep when the Ba shi li
R i v e r i n F u ji an b u r s t i t s b an k s .
Rescue workers were at the site and
16,000 p eop le had been evacuated ,
X i nh u a ne w s ag en c y s ai d . H e av y
seasonal rains have been falling in
Fujian in recent days.
dated today, states: At least 93 people
have died in torrential rains that have
battered southern China over the past
two weeks, state media says. Eleven
p eo p l e a re mi s s i n g a nd ne a rl y 1 2
million have been affected by rains,
floods and landslides, the China Daily
reports, quoting the Ministry of Civil
Affairs. S ome 560,000 p eop le have
been evacuated and economic losses in
the region have been estimated to be
more than $A1.2 million, it ad ded.
Fu jia n p rov i nce on th e s out h-e as t
coast has been the hardest hit with at
least 45 people confirmed killed since
the end of May, it sai d. The water
level in some parts of Nanping city
rose to six metres. Rains also lashed
t h e s o u th - w e s t e r n p r ov i n ce o f
Guangxi, killing at least 14 p eople
s i n c e M o n d ay a nd f o r c i n g t h e
evacuation of 112,000, the newspaper
said.
London, Jun 14 — A rainstorm killed
19 people and left another 31 missing
i n Wa n g mo Co u n t y, s ou t h - we s t
C h i n a ’s G u i z h o u P ro v i nc e , t h e
M i n i s t ry o f C i v i l A f f a i r s s a i d
y e s t e r d a y. The severe weather hit the
c o u nt y i n t h e p a s t t wo d a y s ,
authorities said. The casualties toll
m a y r i s e a s l o c a l t r a n s p o rt a nd
t e l e c o mm u n i c a ti o ns h a v e b e e n
s e ri o us l y d i s r up t e d , h a mp e r i n g
investigative work. The ministry has
sent officials to the county.
HUNGARY
Lon d on, Jun 9 — A y oun g bo y i s
m i s s i ng a n d 2 1 p e o p l e h a v e b e e n
evacuated from their homes as floods
once again hit Hungary. The flooding
has occurred around the Danube and
Tisza rivers after days of heavy rain,
w i th ov e r 11, 00 0 h ec ta r es o f l a nd
submerged. A seven-year-old boy was
s w ep t aw ay by f as t - fl o wi ng wa te r
after falling into a tributary of the
Sajo River on Jun 4. Emergency crews
have been working around the clock to
find him, but the high water levels
a n d s t r o ng c ur r e n t h av e b e e n
hampering their search. People living
in some areas which are close to the
Ti s z a r i v e r ha v e be e n m o v e d t o
temporary accommodation as water
levels continue to rise.
NEW ZEALAND
dated today, states: The flood damage
bi l l f o r G i s b o rn e Di s tr i c t Co un c i l
fol l owi ng s t orms l as t Oc tob er an d
November and in April/May this year
i s n o w e x p ec t e d t o b e o v e r $4 . 5
million. Roading manager Geoff Cobb
said the extensive damage during the
Labour Weekend storm in 2005 was
unfortunately followed by more heavy
rain events in April and May. Hardest
hi t wa s t he c e n t ra l p a r t o f th e
wes t er n ar ea, Ti ni r ot o, P eh ir i , Te
Karaka, Otoko, and the north of the
district, particularly the area around
Ruatoria.
d a t e d t o d a y, s t a t e s : E m er g e n c y
services have been mobilised across
New Zealand today after wild storms
caused blackouts and closed roads,
school s and major trans port li nk s.
The storms have brought heavy snow
and severe gales to many parts of the
c o u n t r y. Auckland is without power
af t e r s t o r m d a ma g e t o o k o ut a
substation, triggering a system failure
across large parts of the North Island.
Some phone systems and traffic lights
ar e a l s o o u t , a n d r a i l an d a i r
tr a n s p o r t ha v e b e e n d i s r up t e d .
Auckland Hospital has postponed all
s u r g e ri e s a n d i s r u n ni n g o n
generators.
dated tod ay, s tate s: S eve re winter
s t o r ms ar e s w e e p i ng a c r o s s Ne w
Zeal and t hi s m orni ng , wi th heav y
snow and gale-force winds affecting
many parts of the country. The lowp r e s s ur e s y s t e m t h at d e v e l o p e d
qu i c k l y o v e r t he Ta s m a n at th e
weekend has brought snow to many
parts of the South Island and a small
tornado that damaged a number of
ho u s e s i n t he we s t c o a s t t ow n o f
Gr e y m ou t h . To r r e n ti a l r a i n al s o
ca u s e d a s e r i e s o f l a n d s l i d e s a n d
fl o od i n g , wa s hi n g a w a y a n ea r b y
section of the Tr anzAlp ine rail way
line. Up to 15 cm of snow has fallen in
South Canterbury, coinciding with the
start of the ski season. There have
been snowfalls down to sea-level in
Timaru, where powerlines are down
and several roads have been closed.
Gales are also buffeting most parts of
the North Island, with gusts up to 130
k i l o m e tr e s a n h o ur re c o r d e d i n
We l l i n g t o n .
We l l i n g t o n, J u n 12 — A p o we r
blackout brought chaos to Auckland
t o d a y, leaving thousands of houses
and businesses without electricity,
roads gridlocked, phone lines down
and hosp itals closed. Strong winds
from a cold front that began sweeping
northwards yesterday had snapped a
power line at the Otahuhu substation,
the m ai n s up p l i er of p owe r to the
c o u n t r y ’s largest city from the south,
Transpower spokesman Chris Roberts
said. An earth-wire at the substation
had fallen across a 110-kv feed, one of
12
t w o ma i n f ee d s i n t o Au c k l a n d ,
Roberts said, affecting about 230,000
customers. About half the region —
including most of south and central
Auckland — were without power from
just after 0830 hrs (2030, UTC, Jun
11). Wes t Auckl and and the N orth
S hore were unaffec ted. Power was
r e s t o r e d t o t h e c e n t r al b u s i n es s
district at about 1240 hrs. Auckland
City Council said power was being
res tored to the rest of the affected
areas in stages, and all areas were
expected to have power by 1630 hrs.
Roberts said the blackout had affected
“everything without back-up power”.
I t h a l t e d tr a i n s o n t h e s u bu r b a n
commuter rail network while about
300 sets of traffic lights also failed.
S ome central city busi ness es were
evacuated, the New Zeal and Pres s
Association reported. The council said
t h e re h a d b e e n s o m e r e p or t s o f
s ew ag e ov er fl ow a nd i t ha d as k ed
r e s i d e n ts to a v o i d f l u s h i n g t h ei r
toilets unless necessary. Two of the
largest hospitals in Auckland were
c l o s ed d u e t o t h e b l a ck ou t , t h e
c o u n t r y ’s Health Ministry said in a
statement. Auckland International
Airport, the country’s main gateway
t o t he r es t o f t he wo r l d , wa s al s o
a f f e ct e d b y t h e b l a ck ou t , t h o u g h
e me r g e n c y g e n er a t o r s p ro v i d e d
e n ou g h p ow e r a nd t he r e w as n o
d i s r u p t i on t o fl i g h t s , t h e a i rp o r t
company said. The weather was also
c a us i n g p r o b l e ms i n ar e a s o f t h e
S outh I s lan d wi th l ocali s ed po wer
o u t ag e s as hi g h w i n d s a nd l o w
snowfall moved northwards with the
southerly front. — Reuters.
R U SS I A
London, Jun 13 — The Lena River is
flooding populated localities in two
m or e
r e g i on s
in
Yak ut i a
H an g a l a s s k y an d N am s k y. Ei g h t
houses have been flooded in To j o n - A r y
a n d G r af s k y B e r e g v i l l a g e s . T h e
waters are not retreating from the
Olekminsk region having risen to a
10-centimetre mark over the last 24
hours. Fifteen houses remain flooded
in the town of Olekminsk, and 40 and
35 homes in the villages of Tr o i t s k
and Kyllakh, respectively. Three more
h o us e s ha v e b ee n f l oo d e d i n t h e
villages of Olekminskoye and Pervaya
A b ag a . T h e F a r E a s te r n r eg i o na l
centre of the Emergencies Situations
Ministry reported today that the Lena
R i v e r ha d f l o od e d a t o ta l o f 1 0 1
houses in the lowland areas of the
Republic of Saha (Yakutia). Intensive
ra in s i n t he I r kut s k r egi o n wher e
Lena starts, the melting of snow in
the mountains and excessive dumping
o f w a te r b y t he M a m ak a n s k a y a
hydropower station are believed to be
t h r ee m a jo r c a u s e s b e hi nd t h e
massive floods.
SOUTHERN ASIA
Guwahati, Jun 14 — Nearly half a
million people have been marooned by
fl ood i ng i n Bang l ad es h thi s week ,
while in neighbouring northeast India
at least 10 people have been killed by
ov erfl owin g ri vers , land s l id es and
lightning. Officials on the Indian side
said today that thousands of people in
the state of Assam state had moved to
higher ground as rivers, swollen by
h e av y m on s o o n r a i ns , bu r s t th e i r
banks and inundated more than 50
villages. Police said deaths had been
reported over the past two days from
western Assam and the neighbouring
s t a te o f Tr i p u r a. I n Ba n g l a d e s h ,
officials said torrents had swept two
people to death after the Matamuhuri
r i v er f l o o d e d s ev er a l v i l l a g e s a t
Chokoria, 220 miles southeast of the
capital, Dhaka. Thousands of homes,
miles of road and hundreds of acres of
c r o p l an d we r e f l o o d e d i n t h e
northeastern region of Sylhet, where
the banks of the Kushiara and Surma
rivers were both flowing above their
danger levels. Disaster management
officials s aid the ri vers would ris e
further as rainwater flowed downwill
across the Indian border.
TA I WA N
dated today, states: Several days of
torrential rain have wreaked havoc
across Taiwan, causing over NT$290
million in agricultural damage and
leaving one person dead, the Central
We ather Bureau said yesterday. T h e
C W B s a i d t he r a i n w as l i k e l y t o
c o n t i n ue u nt i l J u n 1 2 . A m an i n
K e e l u ng wa s b u ri e d a l i v e w hi l e
o p er a t i n g a ba c k h o e . H e wa s
attempting to dig away excess mud
when the accident occurred. So far, he
is the only fatality reported. The CWB
said the heavy rains had caused
s e ve ral l and s l i d es , mud s l id e s and
severe damage to roads in over nine
different counties, including Ta o y u a n ,
H s i nc h u , Ta i c h u ng , C h a ng h u a ,
N a n t o u,
Yun l i n ,
Ta i n an
a nd
K aoh s i un g. I n Yun li n Cou nt y, t he
deluge knocked out a bridge, isolating
a n a bor i g i nal v i l l ag e . He l i co p te rs
have been mobi lis ed to d el iver the
necessary aid to the trapped villagers.
I n on e o f t h e w o r s t h i t a r e a s , 2 7
schools in Chiayi were forced to close
when floodwaters reached over one
storey high. Chiayi Airport suspended
all flights. The train service to the
mountain of Alishan, one of Ta i w a n ’s
most popular tourist attractions, was
c a nc e l l ed . Ac co r d i n g to t he C WB ,
6 2 2 . 5 m m o f r ai n h a d f a l l e n i n
Alishan over the last 24 hours. The
figure has far surpassed the “extreme
torrential rain” mark set by the CWB.
A s p ok es m an f or C hi a y i ci t y
government said the rain had caused
w a t e r l e v e l s i n r i v e r s t o e x c ee d
w ar n i ng l e v el s , wi t h t h e B aj ha n g
r i v er r i s i ng a b o v e t h e 2 9 - me t r e
warning level by 80 cm. It was less
than six metres from the edge of the
levee. In Kaohsiung County, at least
f i v e ro a d s w e r e c l o s e d d u e t o
m u d s l i d e s a n d f a l l i n g r oc k s . B y
y e s t e rd a y af t e r n oo n , r es i d e nt s
reported water was up to knee level
o n t he s tr e et s . T he CB W s a i d th e
accumulated rainfall in Kaohisung
m o un t a i n r e g i on s w a s 50 0 mm .
H un d r ed s o f r e s c ue wo r k er s w er e
dispatched to various affected areas to
evacuate flood victims. Mudslides and
f a l l i n g d e br i s w e r e r e p o r t e d i n
Taoyuan County and people have been
ur g e d n o t t o g o n e a r h i l l s o r
mo u nt a i no u s a r e a s i n c a s e o f a n
av a l an c h e . T h e Wa t e r R e s o u r c es
Agency also urged Taipei and Ta o y u a n
County residents to store water as the
turbidity level in Shihman Reservoir
was becoming increasingly dangerous
for human use. The heavy rains have
struck a devastating blow to vegetable
and fruit farmers. Damage to crops
was estimated to be at least NT$290
mi l l i o n , s a i d t he C ou n c i l o f
Agriculture, add ing that 16%of the
i s l a n d ’s crop fields, or 4,785 hectares,
had been affected by the flooding. The
CO A s a i d f a rm e r s a r e e n ti t l e d t o
apply for s ubsidies or s oft loans to
compensate for their losses. The CWB
said the rain front was likely to hover
over Taiwan for the next two days. So
f a r, meteorologists have not been able
to confirm which direction the front is
moving, but said it will probably stay
around central and southern Ta i w a n .
Th e C W B u r g e d t h os e l i v i n g i n
mo u nt a i no u s a r ea s t o t a k e e x t r a
p r e c au t i o n a r y m ea s u re s t o g u a r d
against the rains, adding that heavy
rain was also expected to hit eastern
and south-eastern Taiwan, as well as
Kinmen, Matsu, and Penghu.
L o n d o n , Ju n 1 3 — A g r i c u l t u r a l
losses in central and southern Ta i w a n
infl icted by torrenti al rains in the
past five consecutive days increased
to n ear l y 9 00 mi l l i on n ew Ta i w a n
d o l l a r s ( U S $ 11 6 . 13 m i l l i o n ) b y
y e s t e r d a y, according to news reaching
Ho n g K o ng f r om Ta i p e i . Qu o t i n g
s t a t i s t i c s p r ov i d e d b y t h e l o c a l
government, the news report said that
N an t o u ,
Tai c hu n g ,
H s i n c hu ,
Changhua and Chiayi counties were
the hardest-hit areas, and that the
local government will offer financial
assistance and low-interest loans to
he l p af f e c t e d f a rm e r s . T h e m o s t
s e v e r e l y d a m a g e d c r o p s we r e
watermelons, grapes, persimmons and
rice, while poultry farms also suffered
he a v y l o s s e s . A t o ta l o f 2 3 , 83 0
hectares of farml and were flooded,
with nearl y 20 p ercent of i ts crops
destroyed, the news said. Other losses
included deaths of 410 swine, 205,000
ch i c k e n s , 2 , 7 00 d u c k s a n d 6 , 52 5
geese.
TROPICAL STORM “A L B E R T O ”
dated today, states: Tropical Storm
“Alberto”, the first named storm of the
20 0 6 At l an t i c h u rr i ca n e s e a s o n ,
developed today from a poorly
organized tropical depression in the
eas tern Gulf of Mexico, forecasters
s a i d . Th e s t or m h a d m a x i m um
sustained winds near 45 mph, up 10
mph from early in the morning, and
was expected to strengthen, according
to t he N ational Hurricane Centre.
“Alberto” was located about 400 miles
west of Key West and about 445 miles
south-southwest of Apalachicola, and
mo v i n g n o r t hw e s t n e a r 9 m p h ,
forecasters said. It was expected to
v ee r t o w ar d ce n t r a l o r n o r t h er n
Florida, where it could make landfall
early Tuesday (Jun 13), forecasters
said. Boaters were warned to stay in
13
port, as up to 8 inches of rain could
fall over the Flori da Keys and the
s t a t e ’s Gulf Coast before “Al berto”
nears the peninsula, according to the
hurricane centre.
dated Jun 11, states: Tropical storm
“Alberto” has brought heavy rains to
Cuba, dropping as much as 20 inches
on western areas of the country. State
T V s h o we d p i ct u r e s o f e x t e n s i v e
f l o o d i ng , w i t h o n e r e s i d e n t o f
Juventud is land saying he had not
seen water levels so high in 30 years.
The US National Hurricane Center
said “Alberto” had maximum winds of
45 mph. It warned the s torm could
d u m p u p t o 30 i n c h e s o f r a i n o n
western Cuba, triggering possible lifee n d a n g e r i n g f l a s h f l oo d s a n d
m ud s l i d e s . Re p or t s s u g g e s t t h e
Juve ntud i s land is wors t affe cted ,
with
mo s t
s t r e et s
flooded.
Ex cep ti ona ll y heav y r ain has al s o
been falling in tobacco-growing areas
of western Cuba.
r e c ei v e d f r o m t he M e t eo r o l o g i ca l
Office: Tr opical storm “Alberto”: At
0900, UTC, a tropical storm warning
has been issued for the Gulf coast of
Fl ori d a fr om Eng le wood t o I nd i an
Pass. A tropical storm watch remains
in effect from south of Englewood to
Bonita Beach. Tropical storm centre
located near lat 26.2N, long 87.2W
0900, UTC, position accurate within
30 nautical miles. Present movement
t ow a rd t h e no r th - no r t he a s t o r 2 0
d egr ees at s ev en k nots . M axi mum
sustained winds 45 knots with gusts
to 55 knots. Radius of 34-knot winds:
200 na utical miles nort h-ea st
quadrant, 150 nautical miles south
ea s t qu ad r an t. F ore ca s t fo r 06 00 ,
UT C, Jun 13. Po sit ion ne ar la t
28. 1N, l ong 85 .6W wit h ma xi mum
wind s of 55 kno ts and gus ts to 65
knots. Radius of 50-knot winds: 75
nautical miles north-east quadrant,
60 naut ic al mile s sout h ea st
quadrant. Radius of 34-knot winds:
Radius of 34- kno t winds: 20 0
150 nau tical mile s sout h ea st
quadrant.
dated today, states: Tr opical Storm
“Alberto” is on the verge of becoming
the first hurricane of 2006 in the US
after it unexpected ly gained power
over the warm waters of the Gulf of
M ex i c o a n d a i m e d a t n o r t h - we s t
Florida. Anxious US officials ordered
thous ands of resid ents to evacuate
barrier islands, floodplains and trailer
p a r k s a s t h e s t o r m ’s ma x i mu m
sustained winds accelerated to near
110 km p er hour. Florida Governor
J e b B us h d ec l ar e d a s t a te o f
e me r g e n c y e v e n t h o ug h t h e mo s t
likely area of landfall was sparsely
pop ul ated s wampl and and farmi ng
c o un t r y i n Fl or i d a ’s “ Bi g B en d . ”
Florida officials said 26 shelters in 16
c o un t i e s h a d b e e n op e ne d f o r
evacuees. “This is a serious storm and
we are taking it seriously,” Govenor
Bush said. Around 21,000 people were
affected by evacuation orders, local
media reports.
d ated tod ay, states: Wind ows were
board ed up and the streets on this
i s l a nd i n t he Gul f of M ex i co wer e
desolate as “Alberto”, the first tropical
storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane
season, swirled toward Florida early
t od ay wi th wi nd s bel ow hur ric ane
s trength. More than 20,000 p eop le
a l o n g F l o r i d a’ s G u l f Co a s t we r e
o r d e r ed t o e v a c ua t e , b u t of f i c i a l s
worried some residents in low-lying
areas prone to flooding still would not
tak e the s torm seri ous ly. At 0500,
E D T, “Alberto” was centred about 65
mi l es w es t o f Ce d ar K ey, an d was
moving northeast at about 9 mph, the
National Hurricane Centre said. Its
top sustained winds were at 65 mph;
The minimum for a hurricane is 74
mph. A hurricane warning was posted
f o r t h e Gu l f C o a s t a n d a t r o p i c al
s to rm warni ng wa s e xte nd ed f rom
F la gl e r Be ach , Fl a ., nor th war d t o
South Santee River, S.C. Florida Gov.
J e b Bu s h s i g n e d a d e cl a ra t i o n o f
emergency allowing him to call up the
National Guard and put laws against
price gouging in place. “Alberto” was
ex pe cted to blow as hore any where
f r o m n o r th o f Tam p a t o t h e
Panhandle, with storm surges of up to
10 feet. Forecas ters said “Al berto”
w o u l d l i k e l y o nl y b e c om e a w e a k
C ate g ory 1 hur ri ca ne bec au s e t he
warm water it needs for fuel isn’t too
deep in the area. Evacuation orders
w e r e p o s t e d fo r p e op l e i n m o bi l e
homes or low-lying areas in at least
five coastal counties stretching more
t h a n 1 0 0 mi l e s . T h os e or d e re d
e v a c u a te d i n c l u d e d a b o u t 2 1, 0 0 0
residents of Citrus, Levy and Ta y l o r
counties . Forecasters sai d it could
bring 4 to 10 inches of rain to central
Florida and southeastern Georgia.
r e c e i v e d fr o m t h e M e t e o ro l og i c al
Office: Tropical storm “Alberto”: A
hurricane warning remains in effect
f or t he Gul f c oa s t of Fl or i d a fr om
L o ng b o at Ke y t o th e Oc hl oc k o ne e
R i v e r. Preparations to protect life and
p roperty s hould have already been
c o m p l e t e d . Th e t r o p i c al s to r m
warning along the Atlantic coast has
been extended northwards to South
S a nt e e Ri v e r, S o u th C a ro l i n a. A
t r o p i ca l s t or m wa r n i n g i s n ow i n
e f f e c t f o r t h e A t l a n t i c c oa s t fr o m
F l ag l e r B ea ch , F L, no rt hw ar d s t o
South Santee River. A tropical storm
warning remains in effect s outh of
Longboat Key to Englewood and west
of the Ochlockonee River to Indian
Pass. Sorm centre l ocated near lat
29.2N, long 84.2W, at 0900, UTC, Jun
13. Posi ti on accurate t o withi n 30
nautical miles . Present movement
towards the north-east, or 035 deg, at
e i g ht k n o t s . M a x i m um s u s t ai ne d
winds 55 knots with gusts to 65 knots.
Radius of 50-knot winds 50 nautical
m i l e s s o u t h - ea s t q ua d r an t , 3 0
n i l el s e w h er e . R a d i u s o f 34 - k n o t
winds 150 nautical miles south-east
quadrant, 90 nautical miles northe a s t q u a d r a n t, 6 0 n au t i c a l m i l e s
north-west quadrant and 30 nautical
miles south-west quadrant. Radius of
12-foot seas 200 nautical miles southeas t qu ad ran t, 15 0 nau ti cal mi les
south-wes t quad rant, 125 nautical
mi le s no rth -e as t qua d ran t a nd 75
nautical miles north-west quadrant.
Fo r e c as t f o r 0 6 0 0 , U T C, J un 1 4 :
p o s i t i o n l a t 3 2 . 1 N , l o n g 81 . 9 W.
Extratrop ical . M axi mum s us tained
winds 35 knots with gusts to 45 knots.
Radius of 34-knot winds 150 nautical
miles east semicircle, nil elsewhere.
re c e i v e d f r om t h e M e t e o r ol o g i c a l
Office, dated today, states: Tr o p i c a l
cyclone “Alberto” centre located near
lat 33.5N, long 81.4W at 0900, UTC,
t o d a y. Pos i tion accurate within 30
nauti cal mil es . Pr es ent mov ement
toward the northeast or 40 degrees at
18 knots. Maximum sustained winds
30 k n o t s wi th g u s t s t o 4 0 k n o t s .
Fo r e c as t p o s i t i o n l a t 3 5 . 7N , l o n g
7 7 . 7 W, at 1800, UTC, today. Maximum
wi n d 3 5 k no t s , g u s t s 45 k n o t s .
Fo r e c as t p o s i t i o n l a t 3 8 . 5N , l o n g
72.0W at 0600, UTC, Jun 15.
d a te d to d ay, s t at e s : A f te r c om i n g
ashore in Florida, the remnants of the
fi r s t n am e d s t or m o f t h e s e a s o n
churned through the Southeast early
t o d a y, bringing much-needed rain. By
ear l y th is mor ni n g, “A l be rt o” ha d
weakened from a tropical storm to a
tr o p i c a l d e p r es s i o n o v e r S o ut h
Ca r o l i n a a n d a l l t r op i c a l s t o rm
wa r n i n g s
we r e
d i s co n t i n u e d ,
forecasters at the National Hurricane
Centre said. The storm was expected
to l os e al l t rop i cal char acter is t ics
l a t er i n t he d a y, t h o ug h i t w as
possible the storm could strengthen
ag a i n. Tr o p i c al S t o r m “ A l b e rt o ”
caused a brief scare and prompted a
call for more than 20,000 people to
evacuate Florida’s Gulf Coast. But no
s e r i o u s i n ju r i e s o r d e a t h s we r e
reported. Forecasters said the centre
of circulation would track into the
Ca r o l i n a s f r o m G e o r g i a b y t o d a y,
pushing nasty weather ahead of it.
St or m wi nd s g us ti ng ov er 40 mp h
be gan mo ving i nto S out h Carol ina
late yesterday night, knocking down
tr e e s an d p o w e r l i n e s i n t hr e e
counties. At 0500, EDT, “Alberto” had
maximum sus tained wi nds near 35
mph and was moving northeast near
21 mph, forecasters said. The center
of the tropical depression was located
about 35 mil es s outh-s outhwes t of
Columbia, S.C. Two to four inches of
rain were forecast for the Carolinas
and parts of Virginia, with isolated
heavier rains along the coast. Isolated
tornadoes also were possible in the
Car o li n as . “ Al b er t o’s ” wi nd s we re
about 50 mph when it came ashore
near Adams Beach, Fla., still strong
enough to be a tropi cal storm, but
we l l b e l o w ev en a C a t e g o r y I
h u r r i c a n e ’s 74-mph threshold.
TYPHOON “CHANCHU”
M a n i l a, J un 9 — T he Ph i l i p p i ne
Co as t G ua r d re p o r te d t ha t i t h a d
ordered the convening of a Special
Bo a r d o f M a r i n e I n q u i r y t o
investigate the grounding of the nonpropelled Tank barge Billy Star . The
Board is expected to convene its first
14
Weather & Navigation/Earthquakes/Volcanic Activity
meeting next week in Cebu in central
Phi l ip p i nes . The Bo ard wi ll try to
determine if the owner of the B i l l y
S t a r had been negligent in allowing
t h e v e s s e l t o t ra v e l d e s p i t e t h e
presence of a tropical typhoon. The
board will also try to find out if the
owner and the crew of the barge had
taken every precaution to prevent it’s
highly toxic cargo of sulphuric acid
from escaping into the environment.
Based on its findings the Board can
r e c om m en d t h e f i l i ng o f c r i m i n a l
c h ar g e s i n c o ur t a s we l l a s t h e
imposition of administrative charges
against the owner and the crew of the
vessel. The partially submerged barge
is reported to be leaki ng sulphuric
acid
an d
poses
a
s e ri o us
environmental and health hazard. —
L l o y d ’s List Correspondent.
M a n i l a, J un 9 — B a t an g a s B a y
Carriers, Inc., owner and operator of
product tanker M a l i t a m , reported that
awarding of the contract for the repair
of the vessel has been postponed to
allow for more quotations from other
shipyards. Batangas Bay had earlier
announced that it would be choosing a
from three Manila-bas ed s hipyards
t o d a y. The tanker operator, however,
has decided to accept other bids after
l e a r n i n g th a t t he e a rl i e s t t h e s e
s hi p ya rd s coul d s tar t wor k on the
vessel would be in July. The tanker
o p e r a t o r a l s o s a i d th a t i t w as
expanding the scope of the work order.
I t d i d n o t d i s c l os e , h o w e v e r, t h e
additional repair work involved. The
o r i g i n a l s co p e o f w or k i n c l u d ed
repairs on the engine, propeller and
r u d d e r.
—
L l o y d ’s
List
Correspondent.
Manila, Jun 13 — Malayan To w a g e
and Salvage, Inc. reported that it had
refloated tank barge Billy Star Jun 9
f r o m i t g r ou n d e d p o s i t i o n of f t h e
shoreline of Sitio Talaba on Sibuyan
i s l and i n ce ntr al Phi l i p p in es . The
barge was pulled out of its trapped
location by salvage tugs Ta b a n g a o a n d
C h a r g e r. T h e r e f lo a t in g
w as
a c c om p l i s he d a f t e r a h o l e i n t h e
b a r g e ’s hull was patched up and it’s
flooded compartments pumped out.
Malayan Towage officials said that the
refloating operation was made more
difficult by the barge’s cargo of highlytoxic sulphuric acid which was leaking
from the storage tanks. The barge was
taken
in
tow
by
Ta b a n g a o
accompanied by C h a r g e r as a back-up
tug and brought to Keppel Batangas
S h i p y a r d . T he B i l l y S ta r r e a c h e d
Keppel Batangas shipyard on Sunday
where it is now waiting for a tanker to
offload its cargo. After offloading, the
barge will undergo tank cleaning after
which it will be drydocked to repair
the fracture in its hull. — Lloyd’s List
Correspondent. (See issue of Jun 12.)
M an i l a , J un 15 — B at an g as Ba y
Carriers, Inc., owner and operator of
product tanker M a l i t a m reported that
it had received two bids for the repair
of the vessel. The bids were submitted
by Bataan-based Herma Shipyard and
Elpa Shipyard which has a drydock
facility in Navotas, Manila. Batangas
Bay Carriers said that it was waiting
for Keppel Batangas Shipyard’s bid
be f o r e m ak i n g a d ec i s i o n . T h e
operator said that it hopes to make an
an n o u nc e m e nt b y n e x t we e k . T h e
wi nn i n g s hi p y a r d w i l l ca r r y o u t
re p a i r s on th e M a l i t a m ’s e ng i n e ,
p r o p e l l e r, rudder and other additional
wo r k s . T he t an k e r o p er a t o r a l s o
re p o rt e d t h at i t h a d c o m p l e t e d
renewal work on the flooded engine.
This involved opening up, cleaning
and id ent ify i ng d amag ed p ar ts . —
L l o y d ’s List Correspondent.
UNITED STAT E S
Lond on , Jun 9 — A p re s s r ep ort ,
dated Jun 8, states: A tornado that
ripped roofs from homes and knocked
over tractor-trailers during a 15-mile
rampage through Columbia County,
Wi s . , o n Tue s d a y e v e n i n g ( Ju n 6 )
caused damage expected to approach
$1 million, officials said. Columbia
C o u n t y ’s e m e r g e nc y m a n ag em e n t
d i r e c t o r, Pa tri ck Begh in, gav e th e
preliminary estimate late We d n e s d a y.
He a d d e d th a t Tu e s d a y e v e n i n g ’s
twister could have been much worse.
The tornado hit southwest and south
of Portage, Wis., but generally stayed
in rural areas, hitting farms and a
l a r g e w i l d l i f e a r e a, f o l l ow i n g t h e
f re e w a y f or p a rt o f i t s p a t h , a n d
crossing the Wisconsin River twice.
Beghin said it dis sipated just as it
was headed for more populated areas.
Beghin said much of it happened in
the mi dd l e of Pi ne I s la nd Wi l d l i f e
Area, which is 5,000 acres of woods
and fields. There were no reports of
serious injuries.
INDONESIA
d a t e d to d a y, s t at e s : A m o d e r a t e
earthquak e s truck off the wes te rn
coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island
t o d a y, the Government s aid . There
were no immediate report of injuries
or damage. The 5.9-magnitude quake
was centred 330 miles southwest of
the town of Bandar Lampung, said
Agung M ul yo Ut omo, a s taffer t he
c o u n t r y ’s meteorology and geophysics
a g e n c y. Local radio station el-Shinta
s ai d t he qu ak e was l i gh tl y f el t i n
Bandar Lampung. Utomo said there
were no reports of injuries, damage or
a tsunami.
London, Jun 15 — A 5.5 earthquake
struck i n lat 1.432N, 126.401E, at
04 2 8 , U T C , Ju n 1 5 . D e p t h 1 0
kilometres.
J A PA N
London, Jun 12 — A report, dated
Ju n 11 , s t a t es : A m a g n i t u d e 6 . 3
ea r t h q ua k e i n K y u s h u , J ap a n ,
occurred in lat 33.29N, long 131.18E,
depth 155 km at 2001, UTC, today.
dated today, states: An earthquake
with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2
jolted large areas of western Japan
early today, injuring at least ei ght
p e op l e , a c c or d i n g t o t he J a p an
M e te or ol og i ca l Ag en cy and r es c ue
authorities. The 0501 quake measured
l ow e r 5 o n t h e Ja p an e s e s e i s m i c
i nt e n s i t y s c a l e o f 7 i n K ur e ,
Hiroshima Prefecture, and in Imabari,
Yawatahama, Ikata and Seiyo, Ehime
Prefecture, and Saiki, Oita Prefecture,
according to the agency. Meanwhile,
a noth er qu ake wi th a p r el imi na ry
magnitude of 4.8 hit northern Japan
a t a r o u nd 0 8 0 4 , t h e a g e n cy s ai d ,
measuring 3 on the Japanese seismic
i nt e n s i t y s c al e
in
Ha k o d at e ,
Hokkaido, and 2 in several parts in
H o k k a i d o, A o mo r i a n d I w at e
prefectures.
MONGOLIA
L o nd o n, J un 1 5 — A 5 . 8 q ua k e
ocurred in lat 45.346N, long 97.311 E ,
at 0649, UTC, today, depth 10 km.
UNITED STAT E S
dated today, s tates: An earthquake
measuring 6.3 on the Richter Scale hit
the Aleutian Islands off Alaska late
y e s t e r d a y, the US Geological Survey
an d the N ati ona l Weat her S er vi ce
( U S GS ) s ai d . T h e r e w er e n o
i mm e d i a t e re p o rt s of d a m a g e o r
i njuri es . No ts un ami wa rni ng wa s
issued. The quake occurred at 0418,
G M T, today at a depth of 15 km in the
ocean, a few kilometres west of Kiska
Island in the Rat Islands group of the
Aleutians, 274 km south-east of Attu
Station, the USGS said.
MOUNT BULUSAN, PHILIPPINES
Manila, Jun 10 — A restive volcano
in the central Philippines spewed a
column of ash at least one km into the
sky before dawn today, raising concern
o f a n e r up t i on i n t he d a y s ah ea d .
There were two minor explosions at
Bulusan volcano in the Bicol region,
but there was no sign of lava flow, the
Phi lippi ne Institute of Vo l c a n o l o g y
and Seismology said in a statement.
Ernesto Corpuz, one of the institute’s
c h i e f m on i to r i n g s c i e n t i s t s , s ai d
B u l u s a n ’s activity had been increasing
an d mor e exp l os i ons and as h fal l s
were likely in the coming days. “Our
monitoring indicates magma is rising
to the surface,” said Corpuz. However,
he said that the institute could not
predict when a major eruption would
o c c u r, and it was for now keeping its
alert level at 2 on a scale from 1 to 5.
Official s have warned res id ents in
three towns of Sorsogon province not
t o v e nt u r e w i t h i n f o ur k m o f th e
1,559-metre volcano becaus e of the
risk of sudden explosions. Casiguran
town, on Bulusan’s northern slopes,
was declared under a state of calamity
yesterday after ash damaged houses,
c r o p s a n d f i s h p on d s a nd f o r c e d
schools to close. — Reuters.
15
Volcanic Activity/Political & Civil Unrest
dated today, states: Explosions of ash
f r o m t h e re s t i v e B ul us a n v ol ca n o
forced several schools to close today,
as officials called emergency meetings
to assess damage to agriculture and
h e al t h. T h e 1 , 56 0 - m et r e M ou n t
Bulusan belched a plume of ash 1.5
km into the sky last night, blanketing
at villages in Sorsogon province with
t h i c k as h , c l ou d i ng v i s i bi l i t y a nd
k e ep i ng p e o p l e i nd oo r s f or h ou r s ,
officials said. The explosion of ash,
B u l u s a n ’s seventh since Mar 21, was
acc omp ani ed by mil d tr emors , but
there were no other signs of unrest
t h at wo u l d i n d i c a t e a n i m mi ne n t
m aj o r er u p t i o n, a c c or d i n g t o t h e
Philippine Institute of Vu l c a n o l o g y
and Seismology. The ash was blown by
t h e w i n d n or t h - we s t t o w a rd t h e
f a r mi ng t o w n s o f C a s i g ur a n a nd
J u ba n , wh e r e o f f i c i al s c a nc e l l ed
classes in at least nine primary and
secondary schools to safeguard more
than 2,600 students from health risks,
officials said. Juban’s mayor Maria
Te r es a F rag at a s ai d s he c al l ed an
emergency meeting to assess possible
health risks and damage to Juban’s
c o c on u t p l a n t a ti o ns , r i ce a nd
vegetable farms, which are the main
s ource of liv eli hood in the town of
28,000 people. Bulusan’s ash estroyed
up to pesos 15 million worth of rice
crops in Juban in March alone, she
s ai d . P h i l i p p i n e s c i e n t i s t s h a v e
warned of more ash explosions and
p o s s i bl e m ud f l o w s f ro m B u l u s a n ,
about 390 km south-east of Manila.
Officials in towns near the volcano
have made preparations to evacuate
in case of a major eruption.
MOUNT MERAPI, INDONESIA
dated today, states: Indonesia’s Mount
Merapi continued to spew lava and
searing clouds of gas and ash today as
g eol o gi s t s mai nt ai ned t he h i gh es t
d a n g e r a l e r t o n t he s m ou l d e r i n g
volcano. Despite losing a huge chunk
of the lava dome forming at its peak
on Friday (Jun 9), which lessened the
danger of a major eruption, geologists
said the volcano still posed a threat.
“The ‘Beware’ status remains as there
are no ind ications that could point
o t h er w i s e , ” s a i d Tr i Ya n i o f t h e
vulcanology office in Yogyakarta, just
south of the volcano. “Beware” status
i s t he t o p a l e r t o n a v o l ca n o .
Authorities imposed the red alert on
May 13 and have since maintained it.
T h e r u m bl i n g v o l c a n o’s a c t i v i t i es
remai ned s ig nif icant , al thoug h its
lava dome lost about 1.3 million cubic
metres of material on Friday evening,
releasing heat clouds of gas and ash
t h at r e a c h ed d o w n f i v e k m on i t s
s ou t h - e as t e r n s l o p e . T h e v o l ca n o
tod ay s pe wed a la rge t rai l of heat
clouds that went four km down its
s o u t he r n s l o p e , Ya n i s a i d . I t al s o
emitted at least 82 torrents of lava,
one of which reached as far as three
k m d o w n i t s s o ut h -w es te r n s l o p e .
M er a p i y e s t er d ay c h ur n e d o u t 2 5
heat-cloud cascades up to 3.5 km high,
and 145 l ava flows up to three km
down the slope.
Yogyakarta, Jun 13 — An Indonesian
s t a t e ag en c y m o n i t o ri ng M o u n t
Merapi has lowered the volcano’s alert
status after a decrease in emissions,
officials at the vulcanology centre said
t o d a y. Merapi in central Java, near
the ancient royal city of Yogyakarta, is
considered one of the most dangerous
volcanoes in the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.
It has threatened a major eruption for
we e k s ,
f o rc i n g
ev ac u a t i o n
of
thousands from its slopes. “Merapi’s
s ta tus w as l owe re d fro m ‘ al er t’ t o
‘prepared’,” Triyani, a vulcanologist at
the Centre for Volcanological Research
and Te c h n o l o g y, t ol d Reute rs . Th e
cent re al s o r ecom mend ed th at th e
government let evacuees return home.
— Reuters.
dated today, states: A large eruption
of sear ing hot g as and d ebris s ent
more than 1,000 villagers fleeing from
the s lop es of M ount M er api tod ay,
prompting authorities to again raise
t he mo u n t a i n ’s a l e r t l ev el t o i t s
highest status. The decision to raise
the alert level came a day after it was
d r o p p e d a n o t c h, an d m ea n s
thousands of people will have to be
ev ac u a t e d , m a n y o f w h om o n l y
returned to their homes earlier today,
said
g o v e r n me n t
v u l c a nl o g i s t
Subandrio. “When we downgraded the
status, we said that if its activities
i n c re a s ed a n d w e t h o ug ht i t w a s
dangerous to the people then we will
revi ew it ,’’ he t old el- Shi nta rad i o
station
A F G H A N I S TA N
d at ed to d ay, s ta te s : M o re th an 4 0
s us p e ct e d Ta l eb a n m i l i ta n ts ha v e
been killed in clashes since Monday
( Ju n 5 ) , t he U S - l e d c o a l i ti o n i n
Af g h a n i s ta n s a y s . T h e c l a s h e s
between mili tants and Afghan and
coalition soldiers took place in Zabul
and Uruzgan p rovinces , a coalition
s t at e me n t s a i d . S e p a r at e l y, t hr e e
peopl e have been k illed in an
ex plos ion near the Afg han capital ,
Kabul on Friday. Violence has been
escalating in southern and eastern
Afghanistan. A statement by the USl e d c oa l i t i o n s ai d “ mo r e t h a n 3 0 ”
militants were killed in a clash with
Af g h a n a n d C a n a d i a n f o r c e s i n
Ar g h a n d a b d i s t ri c t i n Z ab u l o n
M o n d a y. “Joint fires were employed,
forcing remaining enemies to flee,” the
statement said. A spokesman for the
coalition said the operations against
mili tants would continue in Zabul .
“There are known Taleban extremists
i n Z a bu l p r o v i n c e , a n d A f g h a n
national security and coalition forces
will continue to attack these enemies
of Afghanistan until the province is
s a f e a n d s ec u r e , ” L t C o l P au l
Fi t z p a t r i c k s a i d . “ We w i l l no t b e
deterred from our mission to provide a
safe and secure environment to the
Afghan people,” he added. Another 14
militants were killed in two separate
c l a s he s i n U r u z g a n p r o v i n c e o n
T h u r s d a y, coalition officials said. A
clash happ ened in the Deh Rawood
d i s tr i ct wh e n a c o al i t i o n p a t r o l
“effectively disrupted the operations
of approximately 30 insurgents” who
w e r e g a t h er i ng o u ts i d e a v i l l a g e .
“ C o a l i t i o n f or c e s a t t a ck ed th e
e xtr emi s t p os i ti on s w it h art il l ery,
k i l l i ng 1 0 e n e my f i g h te r s . Th e
r e m ai ni ng e n e my f i g h t e r s br o k e
contact and quickly fled the area,” the
s t at e m e nt s a i d . I n a s ep a r at e
o p er a t i o n i n th e d i s t ri c t, f ou r
m i l i t an t s we r e k i l l e d a f t e r th e
s e cu r i t y f o rc e s f o i l e d a n a mb u s h
attempt. No Afghan or foreign soldiers
were injured in these operations, the
s t at e m e nt s a i d . O n F r i d a y, a
politician, a village elder and a driver
travelling in a car were killed by a
roadside bomb, south of the Afghan
capital, Kabul, officials said. Kabul
police chief Amanullah Ghazar said
t h e b om b e x p l o d e d i n t h e M us a y i
district of Kabul province and hit the
c onv oy of K abu l i nt el l i ge nce c hi ef
Humayoon Aini who was returning to
the city after a meeting south of the
capital. Mr Aini, who was travelling
in a different vehicle, was not hurt.
dated today, states: Afghan and USled coalition forces killed 37 suspected
m i l i t an t s , i n c l u d i n g a r e l a t i v e o f
Taliban leader Mulla Omar, in three
s e p a r a te b a t t l e s a c r o s s s o u t h er n
Afghanistan, an Afghan army general
s aid yes terday. Omarøs brother- i n l a w, M u l l a Ama nu l l ah, wa s ki l l e d
a lo ng wi th 14 o th er i n s ur ge nts i n
Siachave village, Uruzgan province,
when troops stormed the area late on
S u n d a y, said army commander Gen
Rehmatullah Raufi. Amanullah was
the Taliban commander in Uruzgan
p rov inceøs Di hrawud di strict. I n a
s econd raid early yes terday, troop s
k i l l e d 1 2 s u s p ec t e d m i l i ta n t s i n
Kandaharøs Saidan village. Ten other
militants were killed in neighbouring
Helmand provinceøs Sangin district
l at e S un d ay ( Ju n 11 ) i n a ba t t l e
involving Afghan and British forces.
Two Afghan men were killed when a
r o a d s i d e b om b s t r uc k a v e h i c l e .
Gunme n fir ed at a tan ker ha uli ng
g a s o l i n e to a U S b as e y es t e r d a y,
killing the Afghan driver. agencies.
Kabul, Jun 14 — Two foreign soldiers
and 14 rebels have been killed in the
latest clashes in the most serious spell
of violence in Afghanistan since the
Ta l i ban wer e o ve rt hro wn i n 200 1,
m i l i t ar y o f f i c i a l s s a i d t o d a y. Th e
upsurge in fighting comes as NAT O
forces prepare to take over from U.S.
troops in the Taliban heartland in the
south. An American soldier died in an
ambush in the southern province of
H e l m an d y e s t e rd a y, s a i d M a jo r
Q u e nt i n I n n e s , a s p ok es m an f o r
i nt e r n at i o na l f o r ce s i n s o u t h er n
Afghanistan. The ambush triggered a
fierce clash in which coalition forces
b a c k e d b y h e l i c op t e rs a n d p l a n e s
16
a t ta c k e d Ta l i b a n p o s i t i o n s . “ We
beli eve 12 s usp ected Ta l iban were
killed in the bombing,” Innes said,
adding the coalition was assessing if
there were any civilian casualties in
the air strikes. The U.S. military said
another foreign soldier was killed in
eastern Kunar province on Tu e s d a y
bu t d i d no t g i ve hi s i d en ti t y. Tw o
Ta l i b an f i g ht e r s we r e k i l l e d i n a
gunbattle in the restive province of
Zabul after they a mb ush ed a U .S .
c o n v o y, w o u nd i n g t wo A me r i c a n
soldiers. Taliban officials could not be
immediately contacted. — Reuters.
BANGLADESH
Dha ka, Jun 11 — M ore than 1 50
Bangladesh opp osition leaders and
activists were injured in fierce battles
with pol ice while trying to stage a
blockade of Dhaka today, witnesses
said. Rock-throwing protesters fought
steel-helmeted riot police at Kanchpur
on the outskirt of Dhaka, in which at
l e as t 70 p e o p l e , i n cl ud i ng f o r me r
army chief general K.M. Shafiullah,
were injured. Police, who retaliated
with tear gas and baton charges, also
d e t a i n e d n e a r l y 5 0 p eo p l e a t
K a n c h p u r, on the Dhaka-Chittagong
h i g h w a y. A s t h e b a t t l e r ag e d ,
hun d red s o f s ti c k- wi el d i ng p e op l e
f r om n e a r b y v i l l a g e s j oi ne d t h e
protesters, forcing police to make a
temp or ary r etre at. T he p rote st ers
burnt s everal vehicles, includ ing a
poli ce car. Several pol icemen were
hurt by flying rocks, witnesses, said.
L ea d e rs of t h e o p p o s i t i o n Aw a m i
League had urged followers to gather
at city entry points today to lay siege
to the capital. The opposition wants
the caretaker administration that will
be appointed to organise January’s
election to be led by a figure
acceptable to all political groups, and
the armed forces pl aced und er the
caretaker leader’s control during the
polls. Police toured Dhaka overnight
with loudspeakers declaring the High
Court had banned the blockade and
a ny on e p a rt i c i p a t i n g co u l d b e
prosecuted. Authorities deployed more
t ha n 3 0, 0 0 0 r i o t p o l i c e a nd
p arami l ita ry t roop s i n the ca pi tal
t o d a y, home ministry officials said.
Awami general secretary Abdul Jalil
said the opposition would call for an
indefinite strike if the government
tried to foil the siege. “I am warning
the authorities against trying to stop
us by using force. The siege is our
democratic right and we are going to
implement i t,” Jal il said . S porad ic
violence was also reported from To n g i
industrial area, on the city’s northern
fringe, where nearly 40 protesters
were injured and many detained by
police, witnesses said. Witnesses said
the city’s inter-district bus terminals
l oo k ed d es er te d wi t h v i r t ua l l y n o
customers. Ferries and trains moved
in the early hours of today, but with
very few p ass engers. Nearly 5,000
opp os iti on acti vi sts and s us pected
criminals had been detained by police
in the run up to today’s protest, but
t he y s p a r e d m ai n l e a d er s i n t h e
swoop. — Reuters.
ETHIOPIA
d a t e d t od a y, s t a t e s : At l e a s t 1 0 0
p eopl e have di ed and thousand s of
others have been dis pl aced during
c l as h e s o v e r d i s p u t e d l a n d i n
southern Ethiopia during the past two
weeks , humanitarian sources said.
The fighting between the Guji ethnic
g ro u p a n d t he i r B o re n a ri v a l s
occurred in the territory between the
towns of Yabello and Finchewa, about
4 0 0 k m s o u th o f A d d i s A ba b a, t h e
Ethiopian capital. Conflict over water
s our ces and p as tur e is common i n
c o u n t r y ’s arid southern region, which
is inhabited by pastoralists. “We have
received reports from local s ources
s ayi ng that up to 100 peop le hav e
b e e n k i l l e d i n i nt e r c l a n c l a s h e s
between Guji and Borena si nce 30
M a y, but this figure has not yet been
c o n f i r m ed , ” s ai d L i z Lu c a s , a
spokeswoman for Oxfam. “The conflict
started after the Guji, whose woreda
[district] has recently been expanded
by the government, started to claim
l a nd t h a t p r e v i o u s l y b e l o n g e d t o
Borena,” an official of a local NGO
said. “Thousands of people have been
d isplaced.” The federal police were
not immediately able to confirm the
c l as h e s . S e v e r al h um a n i t a r i a n
organisations have suspended their
activities in the conflict affected-area.
In a related development, two mobile
health teams have suspended their
w o r k i n t h e S o ma l i R e g i o n o f
s o ut h ea s t e r n E t hi o p i a b e ca u s e o f
clashes between government troops
and forces belonging to an insurgency
i n the area, humani tarian sources
said.
GUINEA
See under “Labour Disputes.”
INDIA
Guwahati, Jun 9 — Four people were
k i l l e d a n d 1 6 w o u nd e d w he n a
p o we r f u l e x p l o s i o n h i t a c r o w d e d
vegetable market today in Guwahati,
t h e ma i n ci t y o f I n d i a ’s t ro u b l e d
northeastern state of Assam, police
said. A senior police officer said some
o f t he wo u nd ed we r e i n a s e ri ou s
condition. “There is total confusion
h er e. We ar e b us y ev a cu at i ng th e
injured to the hospital,” Rajen Singh
told Reuters by telephone. There were
n o fu rthe r d et ai ls , but a s eri es o f
grenade attacks in the state yesterday
wound ed at l eas t 20 people. Thos e
a t t a c k s c a me s o o n af t e r i t w a s
a n n ou n ce d a t hi rd ro u nd of t a l k s
b e t w e en
New
D el hi
and
representatives of the region’s most
powerful rebel group — the United
Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) —
would be held on June 22. — Reuters.
dated today, states: Suspected Islamic
rebels hurled three grenades at people
b u y i ng bu s t i c k e t s i n t h e I n d i a n
portion of Kashmir today, killing one
and wound ing 18, p olice s aid . The
attack happened during morning rush
hour at the main bus stand i n
Jammu, the capital of India’s JammuK a s hm i r s t a te , s e n i o r p o l i c e
superintendent Mukesh Singh said.
People were buying tickets for Katra,
a launching point for Hindus visiting
t h e Vai s h n o D e v i s h r i n e . N o on e
claimed responsibility for the attack,
but Singh said he suspected Islamic
militants. At least five of the wounded
were hospitalized in critical condition.
I t was n ot i mmed i a te ly c le ar how
m a ny o f t h e v i c t i ms w e r e H i n d u
pilgrims, because the bus stand also
is used by local residents.
dated today, states: The dawn-to-dusk
general strike called by trade unions
owing allegiance to the ruling Left
Democratic Front in protest against
the increase in the prices of petroleum
products was total and p eaceful in
Kerala. Barring an attempt by proLDF activists to close forcibly a school
t h a t wa s s o u g h t t o b e o p e n e d i n
K a s a r a g o d d i s t r i ct , n o u n to w a r d
i n c i d e nt o f a n y s i g n i f i c a n c e w a s
reported from any part of the State in
connection with the general strike.
The LDF had lent its support to the
strike called as part of a country-wide
agitation by Left parties in protest
a g a i n s t t h e C e nt r a l d e c i s i o n t o
i n c r e a s e t he p r i c e s o f p e t r o l e um
p rod uc ts di s reg ard i ng th e var iou s
p rop os als s ubmit ted b y them. The
situation was band-like all over the
State with roads remaining deserted
for most part of the day. Although the
trade unions had exempted private
vehicles from the ambit of the strike,
there were only few vehicles on the
road in most parts of the State. The
K e r al a S t a t e R o a d Tr a n s p o r t
Corporation (KSRTC) did not operate
most of its services during the strike
period and taxis, autorikshaws and
other public carriers remained off the
r o a d . Ve h i c u l a r t r af f i c r e s u m e d
t o w ar d s e v e n i n g , b ut s ho p s a n d
commercial es tabl is hments most ly
r e ma i ne d cl o s e d . A t t e nd a nc e i n
government offices was thin and not
much transaction took place in banks.
M a rk et s
w er e
d es e r t ed .
All
examinations scheduled for the day
had been postponed and schools and
other educational institutions had a
h o l i d a y. Wo rk e rs to ok ma r ch es i n
district headquarters around noon as
part of the general strike. Addressing
the work ers , AITUC State general
s e cr e t a r y
a nd
Tr a d e
Union
S p o n s o r i n g C o m mi t t e e c o n v e ne r
Kanam Rajendran pointed out that
t he s i t ua ti on on t he oi l fr ont wa s
going to become more serious in the
c o mi n g d a y s w i t h t h e C ab i ne t
C o mm i t t e e o n E c o no m i c A f f ai r s
c l e ar i n g t h e p ro p o s a l t o a l l o w o i l
companies to effect automatic hike in
the prices of petroleum products every
time the global crude price crosses the
$ 7 5 ma r k . T h e c o m mi t t ee , i n a
statement issued later in the day, said
the strike was total. It had resulted in
a bandh-like situation in the State.
IRAQ
Baghdad, Jun 8 — US aircraft killed
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al Qaeda
leader in Iraq blamed for bombings,
beheadings and assassinations, and
President George W. Bush said today
that American forces had “delivered
17
j us t i c e ” . Z a r qa w i wa s k i l l e d o n
We dnesday in a US-Iraqi operation
hel p ed by ti p -off s from I raqi s and
Jordanian intelligence, officials said.
Vowing to fight on, Al Qaeda in Iraq
confirmed the death of Zarqawi, who
is said to have carri ed out s everal
beheadings of hostages himself and
who appeared in a recent video firing
a m a c hi n e g u n i n t h e d es e r t . U S
f o r ce s d i s p l ay ed a p i c tu r e of t h e
corpse of the bearded Zarqawi with
hi s e ye s s hu t, at a Bag h d ad ne ws
conference. Zarqawi, in his late 30s
and whom Os ama bin Laden called
the prince of al Qaeda in Iraq, had
s y mb o l i s e d t h e r a d i ca l I s l a mi c
insurgency agains t US occupation,
and Prime Minister Tony Blair said he
n o w e x p e c t e d i n s u r g e n t s t o s e ek
r e v e ng e. “ T he r e wi l l be f i e r c e
attempts with the death of Zarqawi to
fi ght back,” Bl air s aid , add ing his
death woul d not end the kill ing in
I raq but th at i t was “s i g nif ic ant” .
Bush said the death of Zarqawi, who
had a $25 million bounty on his head,
was “a s evere blow to al Qaeda,” a
victory in the war on terrorism, “and
it is an op portunity for Iraq’s new
government to turn the tide in this
s trugg le.” Pri me M inis ter Nuri al Malik said seven Zarqawi aides were
also killed in the raid in the city of
Baquba 65 km north of the capital. —
Reuters.
B ag h d a d , J u n 8 — T he I r aq i
p a rl i a me nt a p p r ov e d to d a y P ri m e
Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s candidates
for interior and defense mi nis ters ,
ending wrangling that had threatened
to p lunge his three-week-old uni ty
government into crisi s. A seri es of
bombs that killed at least 31 people in
Baghdad underlined the monumental
task new Interior Minister Jawad alBolani and Defense Minister General
Abdel Qader Jassim face in restoring
s ta b i l i t y i n t he c o u nt r y. T h e
legislature also endorsed a Minister
f o r N a ti o na l S e c u ri t y — S h i ’ i t e
Sherwan Waeli. The new defense and
interior ministers — who both worked
in the armed forces during Saddam’s
rule — will be under pressure to start
tackling the kind of bombings that
brought more death and mayhem to
th e I ra qi cap i ta l t od ay. Nea rl y 7 0
p e o p l e w e r e w o un d ed i n t h e f o u r
at tack s tha t cl ai med 31 li v es — a
roadside bomb in a busy market in
eastern Baghdad followed by three car
bombs in other parts of the city. —
Reuters.
B ag h d a d , J u n 9 — G u nm e n
kidnapped a senior official of Iraq’s oil
m i n i s t r y a f t er h e l e f t w o r k i n
B a g hd a d y e s t e r d a y, p ol i c e a n d
ministry
s o ur c e s
said
t o d ay,
hi g h l i g ht i ng t he l aw l es s ne s s s ti l l
afflicting the vital sector. The incident
hap p ened the s ame day US troop s
k i l l e d I r aq ’s a l Qa ed a l e ad er Ab u
Musab al-Zarqawi, whose demise the
I ra q i O i l M i ni s t e r H us s a i n a l Shahristani said would help improve
t h e c ou n t r y ’s o i l p r o d u c t i o n ,
particularly in the north. The sources
s ai d M u t ha n a a l - B a d r i , D i r e c t o r
General of Iraq’s State Company for
Oil Projects (SCOP), was on his way
h o me i n t h e S un n i d i s t r i c t o f
Adhamiya when gunmen in four cars
stopped his car and abducted him but
s et hi s d r i v e r f r ee . Th ey s ai d th e
ki dnap pers have not contacted the
m i n i s t r y o r B ad r i ’s f a mi l y. T h e
kidnapping highlights the challenges
and dangers which Iraq’s oil sector,
hampered by violence and political
w r a ng l i n g , f a c e . B a d r i , wh o t h e
sources said is in his 60’s, has always
worked for SCOP. He became head of
the company after Saddam Hussein
wa s top p l ed in 2003 . Oi l M i ni s tr y
s o ur c e s d e s c r i b e d h i m a s a
“professional and energetic.” SCOP is
in charge of the oil projects for the
ministry such as buil ding new
refineries and pipelines. Iraq, which
sits on the world’s third largest oil
r e s e r v e s , h a s b e en s t r u g g l i ng t o
produce two million barrels per day,
down from nearly three million bpd
before the US-led invasion in 2003.
Insurgents in Iraq have repeatedly
sabotaged oil facilities in the north to
hampered efforts to boos t crude oil
e x p o rt s , t h e m a i n s o u r c e o f
government revenue. Exports in May
w e r e a ro u n d 1. 5 m i l l i o n b p d ,
according to shipping sources. Exports
f rom the nort h are on hol d d ue to
s a bot ag e wh i ch ha s s o d e va s tat ed
infrastructure there that oil exports
f r o m t h e g i an t Ki rk u k f i e l d a r e
unlikely to resume until early next
y e a r. — Reuters.
Baghdad , Jun 11 — Bombs ki lled
nine people in Baghdad and gunmen
s h ot d ea d f i v e bu t c h e rs i n M o s ul
y e s t e r d a y, as US President George W.
Bush warned that killing al Qaeda’s
leader in Iraq would not end violence.
Bush said US and Iraqi forces would
capitalise on the death of Abu Musab
a l - Z a r q aw i b y cr a c k i n g d o wn o n
i nsur gents tryi ng to reg roup after
losing their leader, blamed for some of
I r a q ’s bloodiest attacks since the US
invasion in 2003. “Coalition and Iraqi
f or c es a r e s e i z i ng t hi s m om en t t o
strike the enemies of freedom in Iraq
at this time of uncertainty for their
c a u s e , ” h e s a i d i n a w e ek l y r ad i o
address. But Bush, signalling that the
United States was not ready to start
scaling back its military presence of
130,000 troops despite We d n e s d a y ’s
(Jun 7) ki lling of the Jordanian
militant, also warned that violence
m a y g e t wo r s e i n c o m i n g we e k s .
Zarqawi was blamed for a series of
a t t a c k s on I r a q ’s S h i ’ i t e M u s l i m
majority igniting a wave of reprisals
that brought Iraq to the brink of civil
w a r. H i s f o l l o w e rs h a v e v o w ed t o
carry on with the violent campaign
after his death in a US air raid north
of Baghdad. Two separate bombings
k i l l e d a t l e as t n i n e p e o p l e i n
d o wn t o wn Ba g h d ad a n d w ou n d e d
more than 40, after the government
lifted a daytime traffic ban it imposed
o n Fr i d ay a mi d f ea r s o f al Qa e d a
reprisals for the Zarqawi killing. A
roadside bomb struck a busy market
in a predominantly S hi’ite Mus lim
a r e a o f t h e c a p i t al , k i l l i n g th r e e
people. A few hours later, a car bomb
in a mixed area killed six people and
w o u nd e d 1 8, i n c l u d i n g th r e e
pol i cemen. I n the norther n cit y of
M o s u l , g u nm e n s h o t d e a d f i v e
butchers in their neighbouring shops,
police sources said. — Reuters.
dated today, states: Three car bombs
exploded in quick succession in the
northern city of Kirkuk today, killing
at l e a s t 15 p e o p l e a nd w o u nd i n g
ne a r l y 2 0 , p ol i c e s a i d . T h e fi r s t
ex p l o s i o n wa s a p a r k e d c a r b o mb
targeting a police patrol at 0745 in
the city centre. Ten people, including
two p oli cemen and eig ht ci vi lians ,
were killed and nine people, including
a police colonel and eight civilians,
were wounded in that attack, Brig.
Gen. Sarhat Qadir said. A suspected
suicide car bomber then tried to go
through the checkpoint of the Kirkuk
police directorate some 30 minutes
l a t e r, bu t t he gu ar d s o p en ed f i r e,
causing the car to explode. Qadir said
two p o li c emen and t hree ci v il i ans
we r e k i l l e d a n d s i x p e o p l e we r e
wound ed , incl udi ng one pol iceman
and five civilians. Another suspected
s u i c i d e c ar b o m b er t r i ed t o h i t a
Kurdish political office at 0830 but
gu ar d s f oi l ed t ha t a tt ac k as w el l ,
p o l i c e C o l . Ta i e b Tah a s a i d . Th e
guards opened fire on the car, causing
to explode outs ide the office of the
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party.
Three civilians were wounded. Kirkuk
is 180 miles north of Baghdad.
ISRAEL
d a t e d J u n 8 , s t at e s : A s e n i o r
Palestinian official in the Gaza Strip
has died in an Israeli air strike in the
town of Rafah. Jamal Abu Samhadana
fo u n d e d t h e P o p ul ar R es i s t a nc e
Committees, which regularly launches
ho m e -m a d e r o c k e t s i nt o I s r a e l .
Samhadana, a senior security chief in
the Hamas-led government, was one
of f o u r k i l l e d i n t h e a t t ac k on a
training camp, which injured seven
others. He was one of Israel’s most
wanted men in Gaza, and was thought
to be involved in a 2003 attack on a
US convoy. A training camp in Rafah on the Egyptian border - was shaken
by four explosions close to midnight
l o ca l ti me ( 2 1 0 0, U T C ) . I t s oo n
became clear the Samhadana was one
of the four killed. Hospital officials
said
S a mh a d a n a ’s
body
w as
incinerated in the strike but his face
was recogniz abl e, accordi ng to the
Ass ociated Press news agency. The
Israeli military confirmed the strike,
saying it targeted militants who were
p l a n n i n g a n a t t a c k on I s r a e l .
Samhadana had become close to the
Hamas movement which now controls
th e P a l e s t i n i a n g o v e r n me n t . Hi s
appointment to the interior ministry
rece ntl y inf uri at ed I s rae l a nd the
Palestinian opposition faction, Fatah.
The move was also bitterly condemned
by t he P a l e s t i n i a n A ut h o r i t y
President, Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas
an d
the
P op u l a r
R es i s t a nc e
Committees (PRC) expres s ed their
ang e r o v er S am ha d an a’s d ea th . A
s p o k e s ma n f o r t h e P RC v o w e d t o
“open the gates of hell” in response.
As w o r d o f S a mh a d a n a ’s d e at h
18
spread, hundreds of angry militants
converged on the hospital where his
b o d y i s l y i n g . T he y f i r e d t h e i r
weap ons in the ai r and swore that
they would strike back at Israel.
Gaza, Jun 10 — Hamas said it fired
rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip
today for the first time since agreeing
to a tr uce 16 mo nths a go . Ham as ,
w hi c h n o w h ea d s t h e P al e s t i n i a n
g o v e r n me n t , a n no u n c ed i t w as
renewing attacks on Israel after an
ex p l os i on i t bl am ed on th e I s ra el i
mi li t ary ki l le d s e ven Pal es ti ni ans
relaxing on a Gaza beach yesterday.
Israel, which has been firing artillery
a t P a l e s t i n i a n r o c k e t s qu a d s ,
promised an investigation. There were
no immediate reports in Israel that
any of t he ro cke ts Hamas ’s armed
wing said it aimed across the border
today had landed in Israeli territory.
Hamas is formally sworn to destroy
I s r a e l a nd ca r r i e d o u t ne a r l y 6 0
suicide bombings in its cities since a
Palestinian uprising began in 2000.
T h e I s l am i c g r o u p t o ok p o we r i n
M arch after wi nni ng a Palestinian
election in January. “This is only the
start and rocket firings will continue,”
a spokesman for Hamas’s Izz el-Deen
al-Qassam Brigades said. “Next time,
the rockets will be longer in range and
they will hit places deeper inside the
Zionis t entity. The attacks come in
response to the Zionist crimes and the
killings of civilians in Gaza,” he said.
Palestinians said an Israeli artillery
shell had caused the deaths on the
Gaza beach. The army said it was too
early to be certain. “This may have
be en an a cci d ent whi ch ca us ed an
artillery shell to fall off course, or an
older unexploded shell which went off,
or perhaps an explosive device which
w a s t i nk e r e d wi t h, ” s a i d M a j o rGeneral Yoav Galant. — Reuters.
Gaza, Jun 11 — An Israeli air strike
killed two militants from the Hamas
Islamic group in the northern Gaza
Strip today after they fired rockets at
Israel, Palestinian medics said. The
I srael i mi li tary s aid it l aunc hed a
strike at militants attempting to fire
rockets. Witnesses also said there had
been a second explosion in the area,
although the cause was unclear. The
killing of the Hamas militants was the
f ir s t b y I s ra el s i nc e th e I s l a mi s ts
formally scrapped a 16-month truce
with the Jewish state on Friday (Jun
9) and res umed fi ri ng roc kets and
mortar bombs from Gaza. Three other
Hamas militants were wounded in the
air strike. Hamas said it ended the
tr uce i n re s p ons e t o the ki l li ng of
seven people on a Gaza beach during
Israeli shelling. Hamas has abstained
from stri ki ng ins id e Is rael s ince a
truce was announced in early 2005. It
had spearheaded a suicide bombing
campaign since a Palestinian uprising
began in 2000. — Reuters.
Gaza, Jun 13 — An Israeli missile
s tr i k e o n a v e h i c l e c a r ry i n g a
Palestinian rocket-launching squad in
Gaza today killed at least nine people,
including two children, witnesses and
m ed i c s s a i d . I t w a s o ne o f t h e
deadliest strikes from the air in years
and came amid a surge of rocket fire
from militants in Gaza following the
k i l l i n g o f s e v e n P al e s t i n i a n s ,
including three children, on a day of
Israeli artillery shelling on Frid ay
(Jun 9). “There was an attack on a car
that was heading to fire rockets at
Israel,” an army spokeswoman said in
Te l Av i v. Wi t ne s s es s ai d t hey s a w
rockets in the wreckage of a yellow
van hit in the strike east of Gaza City
an d t h a t t h e r e w e r e a t l e a s t 1 0
casualties. Medics said nine people
were k il l ed , two o f the m c hil d ren .
Local residents said the men in the
vehicle belonged to the Islamic Jihad
group. — Reuters.
NIGERIA
London, Jun 8 — The BBC reported
today: Five South Koreans, kidnapped
during a raid on a Nigeria oil field, in
which five soldiers were killed, have
been freed, a group of oil militants
said. The claim by the Movement for
the Emancipation of the Niger Delta
(Mend) has not been independently
confirmed. Three of the kid nap ped
wo r k e r s a r e f r o m S o ut h Ko r e a n
engineering firm Daewoo. The others
work for the Korea Gas Corp.
PA K I S TA N
Karach i, J un 9 — Paki s tan s tat e
ow n e d b i g g e s t ex p l o r a t i o n a n d
production firm-Pakistan Petroleum
Ltd (PPL) said gas supply from the
Sui gas plant in Balochistan province
to two gas utilities-Sui Southern Gas
Co m p a n y a n d S u i N o r t h e rn G a s
Pipeline Company was 100% restored
on T h u r s d ay ( J un 8 ) a f t e r m ai n
co m p r e s s o r p l an t r e s u m e i t s f u l l
operation. It was suspended late on
Tuesday evening when the main plant
was closed after outlaws blew up the
gas pipeline feedi ng the plant.
H o w e v e r, r e p l a c e me n t o f t h e
destroyed pipeline was under way and
i t m i g h t b e c o mp l e t e d b y t o d a y.
Meanwhile, security at the Sui gas
field and of the gas pipelines feeding
the plant has been tightened and more
troops have been deployed in the area.
— Lloyd’s List Correspondent.
I s l a ma b a d , J u n 1 0 — P a k i s t an i
security forces attacked a militant
hideout near the Afghan border today,
k i l l i n g up t o 2 0 p e op l e , a n a r my
spokesman said. Pakistan is trying to
clear i ts rug ged , s emi -autonomous
bord er lands of mili tants , many of
whom fled there after US and Afghan
opposition forces ousted Afghanistan’s
Ta l i ba n r u l e r s i n l a t e 2 0 01 . T h e
compound, attacked with artillery and
he l i c op t e r s , w a s n e ar D a t t ak he l
v i l l ag e, i n t he N o r t h Wa z i r i s t a n
region on the Afghan border, said the
spokesman, Major-General Shaukat
Sultan. An attack was launched before
dawn and about 70% of the compound
was destroyed, he said. “We believe we
killed 15-20 miscreants,” he said. The
mi li ta nts a t th e hi d eo ut, who h ad
been responsible for numerous attacks
on s e c ur i t y f or c e c o n v o y s , w e r e
believed to be foreigners and thei r
Pakistani allies, he said. Foreign al
Qa eda s upp orters , i nclud ing many
from Central Asia, are known to be
taking refuge in the area. Private Aaj
T V, ci t i ng a s ec ur i ty of fi c ia l , s a i d
Uzbeks , Taji ks and Chechens were
b el i ev ed to be a mon g t he d e ad . —
Reuters.
dated today, states: Gas supplies to
n e a r l y t hr e e m i l l i o n p e o p l e w er e
suspended today after a bomb attack
o n a k e y p i p e l i n e i n Pa k i s t a n ’s
v i o l e nc e - p l a g u ed
s o u t h - we s t er n
Balochistan province, police said. The
pipeline was blown up early in the day
in the Dasht area, about 25 kilometres
e a s t o f p r ov i nc i a l c a p i t a l Qu e t ta .
D i s ru p ti o ns h i t a bo ut t wo mi l l i on
p eop le in Quetta alone whi le more
t h a n a m i l l i o n o t he r s w o ul d b e
a f f e c te d i n a d jo i n i n g d i s t r i c t s o f
Pashin, Ziarat, Mastung and Qillat.
An electric pole was destroyed and
another damaged by explosives near
t h e s i t e o f t he d e s t r o y ed p i p el i ne
while police said they defused homemade devices p lanted on five more
poles.
No
one
ha s
claimed
responsibility for the attacks, but the
government had been blaming tribal
militants for the subversive activities
in the region who are engaged in a
protracted but low-scale insurgency
for more political and economic rights.
After the bomb attack on the pipeline,
a fire broke out that gutted at least 50
s h op s i n a c o m me r c i a l a re a .
P a k i s t a n ’s mi l i t ar y r ul e r G en e ra l
Pervez Musharraf has refused to talk
to chieftains of the Bugti, Mengal and
M a rr i tr i be s wh o h e bl a me s f o r
fuelling the insurgency in the region.
T h e r e b e l t r i b e s m e n a c c us e th e
government of exploiting their natural
r e s o u r c e s wi t ho u t p a s s i n g o n th e
benefits to the local people.
Quetta, Jun 12 — A blast on a road
in the Pakistani town of Quetta killed
three people and wounded 11 today,
police said. “The explosion went off
near a hotel. At the moment, we have
received three bodies and 11 injured,”
s enio r Quet ta pol ice of fici al Zahi d
Afaq told Reuters. “The numbers of
casualties could be high as injured are
being brought to hospitals,” he said.
A fa q d e cl i n e d t o s p e cu l at e on t he
cause of the blast or who might have
been responsible. — Reuters.
d a t ed to d a y, s t at e s : A b o mb bl a s t
damaged a south-western Pakistani
railway line to Iran today, but no one
w a s i nj u r ed , A P re p o rt e d . Th e
explosion occurred in Naushki, about
200 km south-wes t of Quetta, sai d
S hoaib Ahmed , a railways offici al.
T h e re w a s no i mm e d i at e c l a i m o f
responsibility for the attack. No train
was scheduled to pass on the track at
the time of the explosion, Ahmed said.
Engineers went to the area to repair
the line, he said. Meanwhile, police
detained 26 men today in connection
with a bomb blast at a roadside tea
stall in Balochistan that killed five
people and wounded 17, AP reported.
S e v e ra l o f t he d e t ai ne e s w er e
s u s p ec t e d o f k n o w i n g t h o s e wh o
c a r r i e d ou t y e s t e r d a y ’s a t t a ck i n
Quettaøs Saryab Road neighbourhood,
said police deputy inspector general
S alman S ayed.M eanwhile, security
forces launched an operation today
19
Political & Civil Unrest/Labour Disputes
against s aboteurs involved in antistate activities in Balochistan, Online
r e p o r t e d . Wad e r a Al am K h a n, a
leader of the resistance, told reporters
that a heavy contingent of security
forces had launched an operation in
Tobo. He claimed that 20 helicopter
gunships and jet planes had been seen
in the sky. However, no loss of life and
property has been reported.
SOMALIA
M og adi s hu, Jun 9 — At l eas t s ix
people were killed today in the town
of Baidoa in fighting between local
m i l i t i a me n a nd b o d y g u a r d s o f
S o m a l i a ’s i nte ri m p res i d en t, lo cal
journalists said. President Abdullahi
Yu s u f wa s n ot p re s en t d uri n g th e
c l a s h , t h e y s a i d , a d d i n g t ha t t h e
fighting erupted after a dispute at a
checkpoint in the town, seat of the
wea k i nte ri m ad mi ni s trat io n. Th e
journalis ts, speaking by telephone,
said the clash seemed unrelated to
b a t tl e s f o r c o n t ro l o f t he c a p i ta l
Mogadishu between Islamist militias
and forces allied to a self-styled antiterrorism coalition of warlords. Media
re p o rt s s ai d t he g unf i g ht er up t ed
when a gov ern ment te chni cal — a
p ick up truck equip p ed wit h heavy
guns — t ried to pas s a check poi nt
m an n e d b y a l o c al m i l i t i a , w h o
demand ed a payment. Hundreds of
r o ad b l o ck s , w he r e g un m e n e x t o r t
m on e y f r o m p a s s i ng d r i v e r s , a r e
d o t t e d a c r o s s l a wl e s s S o ma l i a ,
providing a major source of income for
militiamen. Government spokesman
A d i r a h m an
Dinari
wa s
not
immediately available for comment. —
Reuters.
SRI LANKA
Os l o, Jun 8 — S ri Lanka ’s Ta m i l
Tiger rebels and government called off
talks in Oslo without meeting today,
peace mediator Norway said, although
both sides were continuing to meet
teams of mediators separately. “The
Tam i l Ti g e r s a n d S r i L a n k a n
g o v e r n me n t h av e c a l l e d o f f t h ei r
meeti ng in Norway wi thout sitting
t o g e t h e r, ” N o rw eg i a n g ov e rn me n t
s pokes man Es p en Gul lik stad s aid .
The talks were intended to discuss the
s af e t y a n d r o l e o f N o r d i c t r u c e
moni tors as vi ol ence on the i sland
rises. — Reuters.
C ol om b o , J un 1 4 — S ri La n k a ’s
Tamil Tiger rebels killed at least two
security forces personnel today, the
military said, as the rebels returned
from failed talks with the Colombo
government in Norway. The army said
a soldier was shot dead by a suspected
rebel near the northern town of Jaffna
while a Home Guard, part of a unit
under police control, was killed near
t h e t ow n o f Va v u n i y a . S e v e ra l
grenades were also thrown at army
positions. The Liberation Ti gers of
Tam i l E e l a m ( LT T E) s a i d t r o o p s
operating behind rebel l ines i n
d efi ance of the tr uce cla shed wi th
t h e m y e s t e r d a y, wi th t wo Ti g e r
fighters and one soldier, apparently
wearing Tiger uniform as a disguise,
k i l l e d . T h e a r my d e ni e d s e n d i ng
troops into the rebel de facto state in
the north of the island, but said it was
p o s s i b l e t ha t a s o l d i e r ha d b e e n
a bd uct ed by t he r ebel s . T he Ti g e r
delegation led by political leader S.P.
Thamils elvan returned to Colombo
t o d a y b e f or e bo a r d i n g a mi l i t a r y
h e l i c o p t er t o t a k e t h e m t o t h e i r
northern heartland. — Reuters.
TURKEY
Tunceli, Jun 14 — Tu rkish troops
killed two Kurdish guerrillas during
an operation in Tunceli province in
eas tern Tu r k e y, army s ources s aid
t o d a y. “After an armed clash between
a large group of Kurdistan Wo r k e r s
Party (PKK) militants and soldiers
yesterday evening, two slain militants
were taken,” said an army offi cial.
The lat es t off ens iv e was la unched
after the killing of two Turkish army
o f f i c e r s i n a P K K a m bu s h l as t
weekend. “The operation is continuing
and a fresh clash could be imminent,”
said the official. — Reuters.
BANGLADESH
dated today, states: Security has been
tightened across Bangladesh as a 36h o u r g en e r a l s t ri k e c al l e d b y t h e
opposition Awami League-led alliance
gets under way. The Awami League
a n d i t s 1 3 o p p o s i t i on a l l i e s h a v e
called the strike to protest alleged
p o l i c e b r ut a l i t y a g a i n s t t h e i r
supporters on Sunday (Jun 11). Some
200 people were injured in clashes
during opposition protests in Dhaka.
T h e o p p o s i t i on i s p r e s s i n g t h e
government to reform the electoral
system ahead of polls due in January.
T h e s t r i k e , b e g i n n i n g f ro m e ar l y
today and ending late tomorrow, is
exp ected to dis rup t road trans port
and keep shops and schools closed for
fear of troubl e. A police s tatement
quoted by the Associated Press news
agency said more than 10,000 security
f o r c e s h a v e b e e n d ep l o y e d i n t h e
capital, Dhaka.
Karachi, Jun 13 — The prevailing
c o n g e s t i o n i n t he Ba n g l a d es h
Chittagong Port is likely to become
m o r e ac u t e d u e t o t h e 3 6 - ho u r
c o n t i n uo u s s t r i k e of th e Aw a m i
league-led opposition combine. The
resultant situation is likely to prompt
feeder
o p e r a to r s
to
i n c r e as e
congestion s urcharges , local media
rep orted and ad ded that a total of
16,929 TEUs of containers are now
stockpiled in the CPA shed against
the storage capacity of 12,394 TEUs.
M o r e o v e r, of t he to t al 7 4 ve s s el s ,
loading and unloading is going on in
3 6 o nl y. T he o t h er 3 8 v e s s e l s a r e
waiting at the Outer Anchorage of the
p o rt . O f t h e 36 v e s s e l s , f i v e a r e
container vessels. Of the 38 waiting at
the Outer Anchorage, 16 are container
vessels. Due to congession the turn
around time has now increased to six
days. Earlier, the turn around time
was four days. It is said that during
th e 3 6 - h ou r h a r t a l o f t h e A L -l e d
Opposition combine beginning from
0600 today morning delivery of cargo
wo u l d r em a i n s u s p e n d ed f u r t he r
deep ening the p revai li ng cris i s. I t
ma y b e m e nt i on e d t h a t t h e th e
Sing apore-bas ed Feeder Op erators
and t he M ai n L i ne Op er at or s ha d
imposed congestion surcharges at the
rate of 130 US dollars per 20-foot and
260 US dollars per 40-foot containers
i n v i e w o f t h e c o n g es t i o n i n th e
Ch i t t a g o n g P o rt . — L l o y d ’s Li s t
Correspondent.
Dhaka, Jun 13 — Clashes between
Ba ng l a d e s h p o l i ce a nd op p os i t i on
activists left nearly 70 people injured
an d t r an s p o r t a n d b u s i n es s we r e
largely paralysed today, the first day
of a t w o- d a y s t r i k e f o r e l ec t o r a l
reforms. An opposition alliance led by
former prime minister Sheikh Hasina
called the strike to try to force the
government to accep t demand s for
el ec t o r a l r e f or m a h ea d of n e x t
J a n u a r y ’s parliamentary election. The
demands include the removal of the
el ec t i on co m m i s s i o n e r a n d a n
op p o s i t i o n s ay i n t h e c a r et a k e r
administration to be appointed to run
the country ahead of the polls. While
the imp overi s hed count ry remains
d i v i d e d o v e r p ol i t i c a l i s s u e s , th e
business community says it is fed up
with repeated shut downs that badly
affect production and exports. Obaidul
Karim, chairman of the Orion Group
of industries, said: “During hartals
(strikes ) we are forced to close our
trade and business. “All my factories
and firms have been closed as we do
not want to t ake an y ri sk of the ir
being attacked or damaged. On each
ha r t a l d a y, t he c o un t r y s u f f e rs
industrial losses up to 6 billion taka
($85 million).” The Orion Group does
business in textiles, pharmaceuticals,
banking, electronics, printing, power
and construction sectors. — Reuters.
Dhaka, Jun 14 — At least 50 people
we r e i n ju r e d i n t h e Ba n g l a d es h i
capital today as opposition activists
fought pitched battles with police on
the second day of a two-day strike to
p r e s s fo r e l e c t o ra l r e f o r ms . Th e
clashes in Dhaka erupted after police
fired tear gas and used batons to stop
activists gathering in the streets to
enforce the strike called by a 14-party
opposition alliance. The arrest of a
local opposition leader from the old
quarter of Dhaka further angered the
stick-wielding partymen who set fire
to at least one car, damaged half a
dozen others and attacked the police
with rocks. The opposition alliance led
by t h e Aw am i L ea g u e c a l l e d th e
nationwide strike to try to force the
government to accept electoral reform
ah e a d
of
next
J a n u ar y ’s
parliamentary election. The demands
include the removal of the election
commissioner and an opposition say
in the caretaker administration to be
appointed to run the country ahead of
the polls. “We are agitating to assert
our democratic rights,” said To f a y e l
Ahmed, a former minister and senior
Awami leader. More than 100 people
20
Labour Disputes
were injured on the first day of the
strike in clas hes between acti vists
and police. About 200 people including
women have been arrested across the
c o u n t r y. — Reuters.
dated today, states: Non-stop 36 hours
shutdown enforced by Bangladesh’s
m ai n o p p o s i t i o n en d e d y e s t e r d ay
evening. The shutdown, to press the
government for electoral reforms, saw
clashes between police and activists,
and left over 200 people hurt. Police
f i r e d t ea r g a s , l i v e b ul l e t s a n d
c h ar g e d ba t o n d u r i n g f i g h t w i t h
a c t i v i s t s o f t he m ai n o p p o s i t i o n
Awami League-led 14- party combine.
Activists used brickbats to fight back.
The opposition activists also torched
s o me v e hi c l es a nd d a ma g ed ma ny
others in the capital. The 14-party
combine has demanded reform in the
caretaker government system, which
s up e rv i s e s t he c o u nt r y ’s g e n e ra l
elections.
D E M O C R ATIC REPUBLIC
OF CONGO
d a t ed t o d ay, s t a te s : S t r i k e a ct i o n
begun two weeks ago by trans p ort
workers in the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) has paralysed economic
activity at the country’s leading port,
a union source said today. The strike,
in the south-western port of Matadi,
“affects the whole national network”
o f t h e N a t i o n a l Tr a n s p o r t O f f i c e
(Onatra), said Etienne Ntadila, staff
representative at the public company.
Strikers are calling for the departure
of Onatra’s management committee,
w hi c h t h e y a cc u s e o f “ f i n an c i a l
embezzlement”. Transport M inister
Hev a M ua ka s a has s u s pe nd ed th e
committee but one of the country’s
four
Vi c e - Pr e s i d e n t s ,
Azarias
Ruberwa, is supporting it ahead of the
r e s u l t s of a g o v e r n me n t i n qu i r y.
“ We’re waiting for the conclusions of
the audit initiated by the government
before any resumption,” Ntadila said,
underlining that the halt in the port’s
activity was costing around $500 000
a day. Dozens of vessels are waiting
near the port to unload their cargoes,
which can take more than two months
t o re a c h K i n s h as a , 3 6 0 k m t o t h e
north. “If in the short term there is no
solution to end the strike, we’ll have a
l a c k o f p r o d u c t s w i t h i n ev i t a bl e
consequences on price hikes,” said a
representative of the Federation of
Congo Businesses (FEC). “Stocks of
building materials, food products and
oth er thi ng s a re d imi ni s hi ng. T he
situation is only getting worse,” he
said.
GUINEA
dated Jun 9, states: A work stoppage
to protest low wages and high prices
paralysed Guinea’s capital today. Most
s t or es , ban k s and s cho ol s s h ut as
many workers honoured the strike,
organised by the west African nation’s
largest
l ab o u r
un i o n s .
Four
u ni o n s , w ho s e me m be r s h i p r a ng e s
from
bl u e- c o l l ar
wo r k e r s
to
g o v e r n me n t - e mp l o y e d
t e a c he r s ,
launched the action yesterday. They
c a l l ed on Gu i n ea ’s g o v e rn me n t t o
raise wages for civil servants, and to
lower prices on rice and petrol. The
strike continued today. Streets and
markets were largely d eserted and
chi ld ren s tayed home from s chool .
Wi t h i n f l a t i o n ru n n i n g h i g h a nd
wages stagnant, the price of a large
s a ck o f r i c e i s a p p r oa c h i n g o n e
m o n t h ’s s a l a r y f o r ma n y c i v i l
s e rv an t s .
Ye s t e r d a y,
the
administration of President Lansana
Conte said it would boost pay slightly
for some teachers, so exams can go
ahead next month, but the concession
fell far short of many labour leaders’
expectations.
dated Jun 11, states: Riots erupted in
the eastern Guinean town of Kindia
after a student was killed by a lorry,
und ers coring tensi ons in the We s t
A f r i c a n c o u n tr y s h ut t e r e d b y a
g e n e r a l s t r i k e to p r o t e s t r i s i n g
p o v e r t y. “ T h e a rm y a n d p ol i c e
restored order after the uprising by
the youths,” senior police official Abou
Camara s aid late yesterday. “Some
warning shots were fired and there
were some truncheon blows dealt out.”
Another police source, who asked not
to be identified for fear of disciplinary
action, s aid there were at least six
w ou nd e d s t ud e nt s . Th e i n d ef i ni t e
strike to protest sharp increases in
t h e c o s t o f b a s i c g o od b e g a n o n
Thursday (Jun 8). It was the latest
action
by
p o w e r f ul
u ni on s
spearheading the resistance to ailing
President Lansana Conte. The strike
cl os ed bus ines s es and gov ernment
offices across Guinea but has not had
a serious impact so far on the crucial
b a u x i t e i n d us t r y a n d t o d a y s o m e
p r i v a t e b us i n e s s e s i n t he c a p i t al
Conakry opened their doors. There is
g r o w i n g d i s c o nt e n t , h o w ev er, o n
c amp us es a fte r th e mai n te ach ers
union announced year end exams this
week have been cancelled because of
the strike. The unions have demanded
t h e g o v e r n m en t re v e r s e a 3 0 %
increase in fuel prices announced in
m i d - M a y, which it said obliterated
wage increases set a month earlier. A
litre of gasoline costs 5,500 Guinean
francs in a country where more than
half the population lives on less than
$1 a day.
d a t ed t o d ay, s t a te s : At l ea s t ni n e
people were killed and more than a
dozen wounded when soldiers opened
fi re on s tudent protes ts in Guinea
y e s t e r d a y, police and witnesses said,
as a general strike gripped the We s t
A f r i c a n s ta t e . Th r e e p e op l e we r e
killed in Conakry, including a child
hit by a stray bullet, when an isolated
soldier opened fire after being mobbed
by angry students protesting at the
s u s p en s i o n of e x a m s d ue f o r
y e s t e r d a y, a p ol i c e s ou rc e s ai d . A
witness in the northern town of Labe,
430 km from Conakry, saw the corpses
of three demonstrators shot dead by
soldiers, in a second day of violent
students protests. Three more people
died in the eastern town of Nzerekore,
970 km south-east of Conakry, after
tr o o p s s ho t a t a p r ot e s t a g a i n s t
Pr e s i d e n t
L a ns a na
C o n t e’s
government. “Soldiers opened fire on
a g r o up o f s t u d e n t s w ho we r e
marching on the governor’s residence.
Tw o p eopl e d ied there and a thir d
s t u d e n t w a s k i l l ed a t t h e O u ma r
Dr a me p r i ma r y s c h o o l , ” s a i d a
Nzerekore resident, who asked not to
be identified. A riot broke out in the
p r o v i n c i a l c a p i t a l a f t e r s t u d e n ts
began to taunt police when it became
clear that adjudicators for yesterday’s
ex ams ha d not tu rne d up , d e s p i te
g ov er n m e nt
r e a s s u r an c e s
th e
nationwide tests would go ahead. In
anot he r ar ea o f Con ak ry s tud e nts
shouting “Down with the government”
ransacked local education offices and
rampaged through the streets, despite
pol ice efforts to contain them. The
g en e r a l s t ri k e , wh i c h b e g a n o n
Th u r s d ay ( J u n 8 ) , wa s t h e l a t e s t
action by unions leading opposition to
C o n t e ’s
d i s as t r o us
e c o no m i c
management in mineral-rich Guinea.
Cont e hel d an emer ge ncy meet i ng
wi t h u n i o n l ea d e rs y e s t e r d a y, a
presidential source said. The outcome
was not immediately clear.
dated Jun 13, states: U.N. SecretaryGe n e ra l Ko f i An n a n c al l e d f o r
res traint from Guinean authorities
today after at least nine people died
ar o u n d th e We s t A f r i c a n c o un t r y
wh e n s ol d i er s f i r e d o n s t u d e n ts
d u r i n g a g e n e r a l s t r i k e . B a nk s ,
government offices and businesses in
th e d e c a y i n g c a p i t al Co n a k r y
remained shut by the strike, now in
it s s i x t h d ay, wh i ch w as c al l e d to
pr ote s t ag ai ns t t he p oo r ec onomi c
record of President Lansana Conte.
“T h e s e c r et a r y - g e n e r al i s d e e p l y
co n c e r ne d b y t h e k i l l i n g s o f
approximately 10 students during the
demonstrations in Guinea,” U.N. chief
spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in
a s t a te m e nt i s s ue d i n N ew Yo r k .
Police and med ical sources s aid at
least nine deaths had been confirmed
after rioting in Conakry, the eastern
town of Nzerekore and the northern
ci t y of L a b e. I n t h e ca p i t a l ,
y e s t e r d a y ’s rioting caused extensive
d a ma g e . P r ot e s t er s l o o te d th e
s ubur ban v i l la of C ont e’s b rot her,
Ha r o un a C o n te , a p o l i c e s o ur c e
confirmed.
d a t e d J u n 1 3 , s t at e s : B a nk s ,
government offices and businesses in
Conakry remained shut by a strike
t o d a y, a day after at least nine people
died around the country after soldiers
opened fire on rampaging students.
The s tri ke, i n i ts s ix th d ay i n the
We st African country, is to p rotest
against the poor economic record of
President Lansana Conte. Police and
med i cal s ources s aid at l eas t nine
d e a t hs h a d b e e n c o nf i rm e d af t e r
rioting in Conakry, the eastern town
of Nzerekore and the northern city of
Labe.
INDIA
See under “Political & Civil Unrest.”
21
Labour Disputes
MEXICO
dated Jun 9, states: Leading copper
producer Grupo Mexico SA de CV said
yesterday it will close its strike-hit La
Caridad copper mine in Sonora state
and also threatened to shut down its
huge Cananea copper mine. The La
Caridad closing will affect more than
2,000 workers and is set to take place
in the next few weeks, Grupo Mexico
head of international relations Juan
Rebolledo told Reuters. He said the
company hopes to reopen the mine at
s o me p o i nt . “T he c om p an y ha s n o
other path but to close the operations
and end individual labour contracts,”
G r up o M e x i c o s ai d i n a f u l l - p a g e
newspaper advertisement, referring to
La Caridad . The union said it was
still preparing a reaction.
NEW CALEDONIA
L on d on , J u n 9 — F r e nc h p o l i c e
yesterday took control of Noumea, the
main port in New Caledonia, after a
two-week occupation by local trade
u n i o ni s t s . Th e mo v e c o me s a s a n
ongoing dispute between dock workers
and world number two container line
Mediterranean Shipping Co has taken
the French-controlled pacific territory
to the brink of a general strike. The
USTKE union ø made up of Kanaks,
the main indigenous group in New
C al e d o n i a ø wa n ts M S C ø s f re i g h t
v o l u m e s t o be l i m i t e d t o 1 0 0
containers a week. According to the
uni on, s uch a s te p i s neces s ary t o
e n s u r e t h e s ur v i v a l o f r eg i o na l
shipping companies. Also caught in
the cros sfire is Maersk, which las t
weekend dropped a call by c.c M a e r s k
Asi a Dec i m o a t N o u me a , c i t i ng
s ec u r i t y c on c e r ns . N o p o l i ce o r
cus toms offici als were on on hand ,
which would have made a discharge a
bre ach of ma ri time anti -te rrori s m
r u l e s . T h at c o u l d h a v e me a n t
repercussions for the ship at future
p or ts of cal l . I n s e iz i ng con tro l o f
Noumea, the police were acting on a
w a rr a n t
issued
by
a
l o ca l
administrative tribunal, after the port
authorities called for the restoration
o f n or ma l s e cu ri t y co nd i ti o ns . A n
earl i er att empt by aro und 4 0 men
armed with metal bars to break the
union occupation ended in failure last
w e ek , w i t h t hr e e me n ta k e n t o
hospital in the violent clashes that
e n s u e d . M e an w h i l e , R ad i o N e w
Zealand International reports that
MSC has threatened to take France to
the European Court of Justice over
the situation in Noumea. For its part,
U S T K E i s t h r e at e n i n g a g e n e ra l
s tr i k e u n l e s s t h e a d mi ni s t r a t i o n
intervenes in the dispute.
S y d n e y, Jun 9 — The thr ee-week
port workers’ union blockade of c.c.
MSC Caledonien in Noumea ended at
lunchtime yesterday, after police took
o ve r th e p or t a r ea fr om p i c k et er s
armed with knives. The 600 teu ship
w a s a b l e t o d i s c h a r g e t h e s ma l l
number of boxes it had brought on its
maiden sailing on MSC’s new weekly
Australia/New Caledonia service, and
left for Australia yesterday evening.
The vessel had been waiting in the
p o rt f o r al mo s t t h r e e we e k s . T h e
U n i o n of K a na k Wo r k er s an d t h e
Exploited , or USTKE in its French
i ni t i a l s , h a d p ro t e s t ed at t h e
competitive impact of the MSC service
o n re g i o n a l l y - o wn e d c a r ri er s l i k e
Pacific Direct Line and Sofrana, and
the threat to their local stevedoring
contractors. Senior rep resentatives
from MSC in Europe are expected in
New Caledonia next week to discuss a
l o n g e r-term solution with the French
t e r r i t o r y ’s g o v e r n me n t . M S C ’s
s p o k e s ma n i n N ou m e a , E th i en n e
Snijders, said the line had given up
four days of talks with USTKE after
the union refus ed to drop demands
that MS C li mit i ts vol umes i n the
New Caledonia market. Mr Snijders
s a i d t h a t M S C ha d r e j ec t e d t h e
demand, saying that its cargo volume
w a s n ot a w o rk p l a c e i s s ue , a nd
limiting it would amount to an illegal
cartel. øWe wil l only talk with the
s t a te g o v e r n me n t , ø h e s a i d . T h e
union, which had posted armed men
scrutinising cargo coming in and out
of the port, is øa militant organisation
which is serving private interestsø,
Mr Snijders said. He said the union’s
president was also president of one of
four other stevedores in the port
c o m p e t i n g w i t h M S C’s c o n t ra c t o r
Sato, and was in øcomplete conflict of
interestø. Mr Snijders said the state
authorities in Noumea had needed to
act both on security in the port, and
t h e th r e a t t o i n v e s tm e n t i n t h e
t e r r i t o r y. MSC’s French lawyers had
also held talks with the government
in Paris, which advised MSC to keep
t h e s h i p i n N o u me a . ø A ny n e w
operator cannot work like any other
company in New Caledonia,ø he said.
T h e un i o n b l o c k a d e h ad s e t a
dangerous precedent for business in
the territory, he s aid . Mr S nijders
rejected concern that capacity on the
M S C v e s s e l w o u l d w r e ck t h e
A us t ral i a /N ou mea mar k et , s a yi n g
that
its
d e ad we i g h t- a d ju s te d
capability was only around 350 teu
and that the larger ship was needed
t o m a i n t a i n s p e e d f or a w ee k l y
f r e q u e n c y. For longhaul export cargo,
MSC also had to compete with direct
s a i l i n g s t o E u ro p e , he s a i d . L as t
weekend, Maersk decided to skip its
N o u me a c a l l o v e r wo r r i e s ab o u t
e f f i c i e n c y a n d s a f e t y i n t he p o r t ,
though the line stressed its concerns
were confined to the port area and
that it intended to stay in the Noumea
market. Maersk also uses Sato as its
stevedore. Mr Snijders said that the
arrival of a new Cosco service from
A s i a n e x t w e ek , u s i n g a r i v al
s t eve do re, had caus e d n o reac ti on
from the unions.The union had earlier
r e j ec t e d a n M S C p r o p o s a l t h a t
stevedoring work and use of the port
area be controlled through a central
desk, he said. — Lloyd’s List Daily
Commercial News.
dated Jun 9, states: One day after a
massive intervention on the blockaded
Noumea wharf on Thursday (Jun 8),
p oli ce in New Caledonia on Friday
remained posted on the French Pacific
t e r r i t o r y ’s str ategi c si te to ens ure
union picketers do not disrupt further
cargo vessels unloading operations.
On Thursday, a combined operation
from some 120 French gendarmes and
60 p o l i c e, i n c l u d i n g a s p e c i a l
i n te r v e n t i o n “ a n t i - c r i me ” s q u a d ,
stormed the Noumea wharf, that had
been blockaded for the past two weeks
by U S TK E ( U n i o n of K a na k a n d
Ex p l o i t e d Wo r k e rs ) m e mb e r s a n d
sympathisers, some of those armed
with iron bars. The early afternoon
joi nt p ol i ce op er at i o n, or d e r ed b y
French High Commiss ioner M ichel
M a t h i e u ( wh o a c t ed o n a C ou r t
war r an t) , wa s a l s o b ac k e d by o ne
helicopter and patrol boats. During
th e
operation,
French
High
commission on Friday reported two
“slightly injured” within police ranks.
Du r i n g t h e a f t e r n oo n ra i d o n
T h u r s d a y, p ol ic e hav e arr es ted 15
persons, including USTKE President
GÈrard Jodar and his deputy Alain
BoÈoua. The two have since been kept
in custody at the police headquarters
i n d o w n t ow n N o u mÈ a . F r e nc h
authorities said today police would
maintain a guarding presence on the
site for as long as it takes to durably
restore normal operations. The port’s
blockade had since p osed a s erious
threat to its compliance to the postSeptember 11 International Ship and
Ports Facilities Security Code (ISPS)
s ta nd ar d s . Th e S ec re t ar i at of t he
Pacific Community (SPC)’s maritime
programme director, Captain John P
Hogan, confirmed on We dnes day to
Oceania Flash that the ISPFS code is
put into place for all ports that service
international vessels.
NIGERIA
London, Jun 8 — The on-going strike
by t h e s t a f f of N i g er i a n E x t er n a l
Te l e c o mm u ni c at i on ( N I TE L ) h as
paralysed the electronic banking (ebanking) system as some customers
are failing to operate their accounts
e l e c t r o n i c a l l y. I n ve s t ig a ti on s al s o
confirmed that major clients such as
Nigerian
N at i on a l
P e t r o l e um
Co r p o r a t i o n ( N N P C ) , P e t r o l e um
Product Marketing Company (PPMC)
and Shell, experienced difficulty in
transacti ng bus iness electronically
with banks. The most affected banks
were United Bank for Africa (UBA)
an d E co b a n k N i g er i a a s t h e i r
customers complained bitterly that
they could not effect funds transfer,
operate smartcards or perform foreign
exchange transactions yesterday.
d a t e d J un 9 , s t a t es : A s tr i k e a t
N i g e r i a ’s state telephone company is
hu r t i n g b u s i ne s s i n s u b - S a h a ra n
A f r i c a ’s second-biggest economy where
internet access is near impossible and
many local and international calls are
blocked. The strike at Nitel, which the
government is trying to privatise, has
s h u t d o wn t h e S AT- 3 u n d e r w at e r
ca b l e , t h e m a i n g a t e w a y f o r
i n te r n a t i o n al c a l l s a n d i n t e r ne t
connections to Africa’s most populous
nation. About 10,000 Nitel workers
l a un c h ed t he i n d ef i ni te s t ri k e o n
Monday (Jun 5) because they had not
been paid for four months.
22
Labour Disputes/Awards & Settlements
SOUTH AFRICA
dated Jun 9, states: As security sector
unions start negotiations, the death
toll linked to the SA Transport and
Allied Workers’ Union strike has risen
t o 2 3. T h e bo d i e s o f t h r e e m e n ,
believed to be security guards, were
f ou nd o n Wed n es d ay ( Ju n 7 ) n ea r
Du d u z a a nd Ts ak a ne Ek u rh ul e n i .
B o th p a r t i e s re f u s e d to c o mm e n t
y e s t e r d a y, raising speculation that an
agreement was not too far off. Satawu
s po kes per son Ronni e M amb a sai d :
“ We took a decision not to comment on
the content or any substantive issues
relating to the talks so that we could
truly give the talks a chance.” The
p a r t i e s ha d ag re e d t o t a l k a f t e r
Satawu rejected an agreement signed
b e t we e n
the
five
em p l o y e r
as s oc i at i on s and 14 o th er un io ns .
Employers want Satawu to terminate
the violent strike, while the union has
a s k e d f o r g u a r a nt e e s t h at i t s
m em b e r s w i l l n o t b e v i c t i mi s e d .
Satawu has been on strike because it
believed any wage agreement without
its signature was illegitimate.
d a t e d t od a y, s t at e s : T he s e c ur i t y
guard s trike has claimed two more
l iv es as tal ks betw een uni ons and
employers carried on until late last
night. More than 20 deaths have been
l ink ed to t he s tr ik e. M an y g uard s
were flung from moving trains, while
others were shot or beaten to death.
Meanwhile, the talks were continuing
last night in a bid to end the strike.
A n e m p l o y e r r ep r e s e n t at i v e , w h o
spoke on condition of anonymity, said
t h e S o ut h A f ri c an Tra n s p o r t a n d
Allied Workers’ Union’s rejection of an
offer made by employers on Friday
was holding things up.
dated Jun 13, states: Talks about the
con tin uing s ecuri ty gua rd s ’ s tr ik e
were adjourned today for the parties
to “clarify and reflect on issues still in
d i s p u te , ” t h e C o mm i s s i on f o r
C o nc i l i a t i o n ,
Mediation
and
Arbitration (CCMA) said. “Given the
fa ct th at d i s cus s i ons co nti nue d t o
a p p r ox i ma t e l y 0 2 0 0 hr s , p a r t i e s
a g r e e d t o a d j o u rn t o c l a r i f y a n d
re fl e ct o n i s s ue s s ti l l i n d i s p ut e, ”
CCMA spokesperson Lusanda Myoli
said today. Nerine Khan, the CCMA’s
d i r e c t o r, s a i d t h e p a rt i e s ag re e d
generally on mos t aspects of a new
wage offer, with minor differences ,
wh i ch th e u ni o ns w ou l d “c au cu s . ”
What t he p arti es d i ffere d on we re
i n t e r p r e t a ti o ns t o p ar t s o f t h e
agreement, Khan said. Steve Friswell,
s p o k e s p e rs o n f o r t he e m p l o y e r s ,
agreed with Khan, saying the unions
should contact the employers when
they were read y to tal k. Howev er,
leaders of the SA Transport and Allied
Workers Union (S atawu) said they
wo ul d i nd i c at e t o mo rr ow whe t he r
they are ready to resume the talks.
dated Jun 14, states: Striking security
g u a r d s wi l l m a r c h to S a n d t o n
tomorrow to bring worker demands
into the heart of, what they term, the
capitalist stronghold. Their union, the
South African Transport and Allied
Workers Union (Satawu), says it has
n o t o bt a i n e d p e r mi s s i o n f or t h i s
march, but workers will exercise their
right to free movement in a united
walk. This is ahead of the p lanned
re s ump tio n of th e Commi s si on f or
C o n ci l i a t i o n ,
M e d i at i on
a nd
Arbitration (CCMA) mediated talks
next M ond ay (Jun 19). At the las t
round of talks, the parties failed to
reach agreement on certain aspects of
the draft agreement. Randall Howard,
the Satawu secretary-general, says
t h e i r wa l k f r o m J o h a nn e s bu r g t o
Sandton is to highlight the plight of
t h e w o rk er s . Ta l k s a bo u t t h e
continuing security guards’ strike has
b e en a d jo u r ne d f o r t h e p ar t i e s t o
cl arif y is s ues s ti ll in d is p ute. The
CCMA says Satawu and employers do
agree on most aspects of a new wage
o f f e r, but says the parties still differ
o n i n te rp re ta ti o ns to p ar t s of th e
agreement.
ZAMBIA
Lusaka, Jun 7 — Rioting miners at
Z a m b i a ’s leading coal producer have
disrupted supply of the fuel to copper
mines in Zambia and the Democratic
Republic of Congo, a senior industry
official said today. Maamba Collieries
Ltd Chief Executive Officer Wy l b u r
Simusa said the workers at the staterun mine damaged windows of some
h o u s e s a nd c o m p a n y v e h i c l e s
demanding payment of three months
salary in arrears during the unrest
y e s t e r d a y. Simusa told Reuters coal
production at the mine, about 400 km
s o ut h o f Lus ak a , h ad b ee n h al t ed
after 800 miners were joined by their
wives and children in the riots, which
only ended after police in combat gear
i nt e r v e n ed . “ Th e s tr i k e a n d r i ot s
which followed afterwards have forced
u s t o h a l t p r od u c ti o n. We h a v e
suspended coal exports to two copper
mines in the Congo and we are not
supplying coal to local mines,” Simusa
said. Simusa said copper mines would
h a v e p r o d u c t i o n p r ob l em s i f t h e
supply is not resumed soon, adding
that police were guarding the mine to
let employees who wanted to resume
work do so. — Reuters.
A S B E S T O S- R E L ATED ILLNESS ,
UNITED STAT E S
dated Jun 9, states: The Dallas law
f i r m of B a ro n & B u d d PC , ha s
a nno unc ed a ju ry ve rd i ct of $ 13. 5
million in the second trial on behalf of
the family of an East Texas man who
d i e d f r o m a c a n ce r c au s e d by h i s
exposure to asbestos fibres as a child.
The first trial in the case concluded in
M a rc h , 2 0 05 , w i t h a $ 9 . 3 m i l l i o n
v e r d i c t fo r t h e f am i l y of Ti m o t h y
Shawn Bostic. In August, 2005, the
court ordered a new trial. Baron &
Budd attorneys Charla Al dous and
Chris Panatier represented the Bostic
family in both trials. Jurors in the
ca s e h e ar d h o w M r. B o s t i c w as
ex pos ed to asbes tos whi le working
wi t h hi s f a t h e r a s a c h i l d a n d
te e na g e r i n t h e 1 9 60 s a n d 1 97 0 s .
Witnesses tes tified that Mr. Bostic
fr e q u e nt l y u s e d an a s be s t o s co n t a i n i n g
joint
compound
ma n uf a c t u r ed b y A t l a n t a - ba s e d
Ge o r g i a - P ac i f i c
C or p .
C ou r t
d o c um e n t s s ho w e d t h a t Ge o r g i a Pacific officials knew about the health
dangers of asbestos as early as 1966.
H o w e v e r, the company continued to
sell products that contained asbestos
as late as 1977. In 2003, Mr. Bostic
was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a
rare form of cancer caused by asbestos
exposure. He died at the age of 41 on
Sep 5, 2003. The effects of asbestos
ex p o s u r e , i n c l u d i n g t h e on s et o f
d i s e as e s l i k e me s o t he l i o ma a n d
as bes tos is , can take years or even
d e c ad es t o s u rf a c e . M o r e t h a n 3 5
years passed before Mr. Bostic began
showing symptoms of mesothelioma.
He d i ed l es s than a year af ter his
initial diagnosis. The jury of one man
and five women returned the verdict
in Dallas Judge Sally Montgomery’s
County Court on Jun 8. The four- w e e k
trial concluded after approximately
three hours of jury deliberations. The
jury found Georgia-Pacific liable for
ne g l i g e n ce a nd f a i l ur e t o w ar n ,
aw a r d i n g M r. Bo s t i c ’s f a mi l y
$7,554,907 in compensatory damages
and $6,038,910 in punitive damages.
CHEMICAL CONTA M I N AT I O N ,
UNITED STAT E S
dated Jun 14, states: A jury yesterday
ordered three chemical manufacturers
to pay the city of Modesto, California,
$178 million, finding that their drycleaning products contaminated water
with suspected carcinogens. Jurors in
San Francisco Superior Court found
th e c o m p a n i e s a c te d w i t h m a l i c e
because they failed to tell dry cleaners
ho w
to
us e
t he
c h e mi ca l s
perchloroethylene or trichloroethylene
without harmi ng the envi ronment.
Th e j ur y l ev i e d m o r e t h a n $ 17 5
mi l l i o n i n p u n i t i v e d am a g e s l a t e
yesterday and $3.2 million in actual
d a ma g e s
f or
g r o u nd w at e r
contamination. Vulcan Materials Co
was ordered to pay $100 million in
punitive damages, Dow Chemical Co
was ordered to pay $75 million and
RR Street & Co Inc. to pay $75,000.
“ We’re gratified at the jury’s verdict,”
said attorney Duane C. Miller, who
represented the city in the case. “We
be l i e v e i t ’s th e f i r s t t i m e th e
manufacturers of perchloroethylene
ha v e be e n h e l d a c c o un t a b l e f o r
da mag es c aus e d by t ha t p ro d uct .”
Re p re s e nt a t i v e s o f B i r m i n g h am ,
Alabama-based Vulcan Materials and
M i d l a n d , M i c hi g a n -b a s ed Do w
Chemical said they planned to appeal.
“ We think the punitive damages are
completely without merit,” said David
Donaldson, of Vulcan Materials. Dow
Chemical s ai d in a s tatement that
th e r e wa s n o p r o o f an y of t h e i r
23
Awards & Settlements/Railway Accidents
products had directly caused pollution
in M odes to. Pitts burgh-bas ed PPG
Industries and Occidental Chemical
Corporation, of Dallas, were ordered
t o co n t r i b u t e t o t he $ 3 . 2 m i l l i o n
awarded in compensatory damages.
Tw o d ry - c l e an i n g bu s i n e s s es th a t
were named in the lawsuit will not
have to pay damages. They did not
k n o w o f t h e c o nt a m i n a ti o n r i s k ,
Miller said. Modesto filed the lawsuit
in San Francisco Superior Court in
D e c e m b e r, 1998, but the case did not
go to trial until February.
F R AU D, UNITED STAT E S
dated today, states: A federal jury has
found a bank and a securities firm
liable for a total of nearly $33 million
in damages for their role in frauds
committed by the former owner of a
Paoli financial firm. The Philadelphia
j u r y ’s findings on Thursday (Jun 8)
f o l l o w e d O c to b e r ’s s e nt e n c i n g o f
former Be ntley Fina ncial S ervi ces
owner Robert L. Bentley to 55 months
in prison after he pleaded guilty to
fraudulently selling more than $300
mi ll ion in uni ns ured i nves tment s .
M or e t h an 2 0 0 c l i e nt s a cr o s s t h e
nation — banks, credit unions, school
d i s t r i c t s an d s m a l l i nv e s t o rs —
purchased what Bentley told them
w e re
g o v e rn m e nt - g u a r a nt e e d
certificates of deposit from Bentley. In
f a c t , t h e i nv es t me n t s w e r e n o t
i n s ur e d , l e a v i n g t h e i r o w ne r s
v u l n e r ab l e t o b i g l os s es . Co u r t appointed receiver David H. Marion
h a d p r e v i o u s l y ta k e n c on t r o l o f
B e n t l e y ’s a s s e t s , e n ab l i ng h i m t o
r e p a y mo r e t ha n 90 % of t h e
investments. His attorneys sought to
make up the rest from some of the
bankers, brokers and accountants who
had helped keep Bentley in business
f o r mo r e t ha n a d e c a d e . T he j u ry
f o u nd Pe n i n s u l a B a nk , o f D el r ay
Beach, Florida, and former executive
vice president Joseph Marzouca liable
for $13.1 million in damages. The jury
also found Southeastern S ecurities
Inc, of Miami, its president Theodore
Benghiat, and affiliate SFG Securities
Inc liable for $19.7 million. In each
case, the jury found that the firms
and the executives “either conspired
wi th or a id ed and as s i s ted Rober t
Bentley in his fraudulent activities.”
The civil action against Peninsula and
Southeastern was brought by John H.
L e wi s J r a n d Da v i d D. L a ng fi t t ,
partners at Montgomery McCracken
Walker & Rhoads LLP, and by Julie
Negovan, partner at Cozen O’Connor,
o n b e ha l f o f M ar i on , t h e c o u r t appointed receiver.
PATENT INFRINGEMENT,
UNITED STAT E S
d a t e d Ju n 9 , s t a t e s : A N o r c o
manufacturer of microchips designed
to reunite lost pets with their owners
was awarded more than $6 million in
damages by a Texas jury that found a
c o mp e t i t o r
liable
f or
patent
infringement and false advertising.
Av i d I d en t i f i ca t i on S y s t e ms I n c ,
e s t a b l i s h e d i n 1 9 84 b y N o r c o
veterinarian Hannis L. Stoddard III,
pioneered microchips that could be
i mp l a nt e d i n p e t s a nd r e a d b y
s c an n e r s . A fe d e ra l c o u r t j u r y i n
Marshall, Texas, recently reached a
u n a ni mo u s v e r d i c t f i nd i n g t h a t
Datamars SA, a Swiss manufacturer,
a n d i t s w h o l l y o w n ed A me r i c a n
d i s t r i b u t o r, C r y s t a l I mp o rt C o rp ,
w i l l f ul l y i n f r i n g e d o n p a te n t s o n
Av i d ’s microchips and scanners. The
jury also found Crystal mis led pet
owners about the effectiveness of its
chips because most animal shelters
us e s canners d es ig ned to read the
kind of chips made by Avid and not
those that Crystal sells. Dan Knox,
Av i d ’s director of companion animal
operations, said in 1996 that Avid and
Di g it al An gel , ma ker of the Home
Again pet chip , together d evelop ed
scanners to read all chips operating
on a 125-kilohertz radio frequency.
T h e s c a nn e r s w e re d i s t r i b u t e d t o
ani mal shel ters acros s the nati on.
H o w e v e r, in February 2004, Banfield
Pet Hospitals, a national chain, began
t o i m p l a nt D a t a ma r s c h i p s t h a t
operate on the frequency endorsed by
the
I nt e r n a ti o na l
Standards
Organisation, which is widely used in
E u r op e . I n a h i g h l y p ub l i c i s e d
incident, a young pit bull that had
b e e n i mp l a n t ed wi t h c h i p a t a
Banfield hospital was euthanised at
an animal shelter in Virginia after a
scanner there failed to detect the chip.
Concerned that such mistakes could
u n d e r m i n e t h e c r e d i bi l i t y o f p e t
c h i p p i n g , S t o d d a r d s ai d , Av i d
responded with litigation. Avid filed
t he p a te nt l aw s u i t i n US D i s t ri c t
Court in eastern Texas in May, 2004.
R A I LWAY ACCIDENT,
UNITED STAT E S
dated today, states: Universal Studios
has been ordered to pay nearly $12
million to a woman who was seriously
injured in a 2003 Burbank Metrolink
crash that left two people dead and 32
hurt. A jury awarded the money to
Jennifer Kilpatrick Thursday (Jun 9),
after finding last month that one of
U n i v e r s a l ’s truck drivers caused the
collision. Kilpatrick broke her back
and was among the most seriousl y
injured on the train. She spent three
months in the hosp ital for s urgery
and rehabilitation. The jury awarded
her $11,822,867 for medical expenses
and pain and suffering. The plaintiffs
contended that the truck driver, 63y e a r-old Jacek Wysocki, ignored red
lights and warning bells and tried to
b e a t t h e t r ai n t ha t wo u l d h i t h i s
truck. “There were lights. There were
down gates,” s aid Attorney Jerome
R i n g l e r. “That would have warned a
motorist unless he had clearly ignored
them.” Universal’s attorneys argued
during the trial that Wy s o c k i ’s truck
was parked at an angle that allowed
him to drive easily onto the tracks,
a n d t h at b ar r i e r s w e r e n o t c l e a r
enough. Wys ocki died at the scene,
and one of the train’s passengers later
died. A spokeswoman for Universal
declined to comment, the Los Angeles
Times said. The jury must still decide
on awar d s f or s ev er al mo re of the
victims, unless settlements can be
reached with Universal. Before the
trial, lawyers for the two sides agreed
to l et t h e j ur y ’s d e c i s i o n o n th e
c o m p a n y ’s liability in the first trial
apply to all of the remaining cases.
Metrolink was p art of the ori ginal
l a ws u i t , b u t ma d e c o nf i d e n t i a l
settlements with the accident victims
before trial.
ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT,
UNITED STAT E S
d a t e d y es t e r d a y, s t a t e s : A ju r y
awarded $3.7 million in damages to a
S a n ta R o s a f a m i l y t h a t s u f f e r e d
i n ju r i e s d ur i n g a c r as h i n v o l v i n g
vehicles owned by Harris Ranch Beef
Co . a n d Fe d Ex G ro u n d Pa c k a g e
System Inc. The Contra Costa County
jury on F ri d ay (J un 9) fo und th at
Selma, Calif.-based Harris Ranch was
or d e re d t o p a y 8 0 p e rc e n t o f th e
d a ma g e s . F ed E x G r ou n d , th e
Pittsburgh-based trucking division of
s h i p p i n g g i a n t Fe d Ex C o r p . , w as
fo un d l i ab l e f o r t he re ma i ni n g 20
pe rce nt. Ge ral d Vi nc ent, hi s wif e,
Corey Vincent, and her 11 - y e a r- o l d
son sued FedEx Ground and Harris
Ra n c h f o r ne g l i g e n c e a f te r th e
accid ent that occurred on Jami son
Ca nyon Road in S ol ano County on
De c . 2 6 , 2 0 0 3 . T he Ha r r i s R a nc h
t r a c t o r-trailor rear-ended the FedEx
Ground delivery van, which crossed
th e d o ub l e y e l l o w l i ne an d h i t a
Toyota Tacoma before slamming into
the Vincents’ 1999 Dodge Durango,
according to the California Highway
Patrol. Corey Vincent, 42, had to be
ai r l i ft e d t o a ho s p i t a l , wh e re s he
un d er w e nt e me r g e n c y a b d o m i n a l
surgery for severe internal injuries.
The damages included $2.5 million for
he r “ p hy s i c a l p a i n a n d me n t a l
s u f f er i ng , ” ac c o r d i ng t o c ou r t
documents. Her son suffered a broken
arm in the crash. Gerald Vincent, 39,
who was driving the Durango, did not
suffer serious injury.
BEIT YEHOSHUA AREA, ISRAEL
Beit Yehoshua, Jun 12 — An Israeli
train carrying 200 passengers crashed
into a van and derailed today, killing
at l e a s t o n e p e r s o n an d i n ju r i n g
dozens of others, rescue services said.
The impact threw the locomotive on
top of one carriage. Three others lay
on their sides in a mass of twis ted
metal. Medics carried out the injured
on stretchers along the tracks at Beit
Yehoshua, a farming village in central
I s ra e l . S e v e ra l p a s s e ng er s we r e
trapped in the wreckage for two hours
be f o r e re s c ue r s s t a b i l i s e d t h e i r
carriage and pulled them out. Police
sai d the trai n, travel li ng from Te l
Av i v ’s Be n - G ur i o n A i r p o r t t o th e
northern port of Haifa, hit a van that
24
Railway Accidents
s topp ed at a rai l cros s ing but was
pus hed onto the track s by another
vehicle that hit it from behind. “The
lorry simply stopped on the track and
the driver managed to get out before
the train slammed into it,” a witness,
who identified herself only as Miri,
told I srael Radi o. Ambulances and
medical evacuation helicopters rushed
t o t h e s c e n e . R es c u e s e r v i c e s ,
up d ati ng cas ual ty fi gure s , s ai d a t
least one person was killed and about
60 were injured. Earlier accounts said
several people were dead and up to
150 hurt. There was no suggestion
from Israeli authorities that the van
h a d b ee n p u s h e d o n t o t h e t r a c k s
d e l i b e r a t e l y. Dudi Cohen, the local
police chief, described the collision
b e t we e n t h e t wo v e h i c l e s a t t h e
crossing as a traffic accident. Another
witness, Avi Adsawi, said the train
was not full at the time of the crash,
several hours after the morning rush
h o u r. — Reuters.
B U R B A N K, CALIFORNIA,
UNITED STAT E S
d a t e d J un 9 , s t at e s : A ju r y h a s
ordered Universal Studios to pay $12
million to a woman who was seriously
injured in a 2003 Metrolink crash in
B ur b a n k , f i n d i n g t h a t o n e o f t h e
c o m p a n y ’s truck drivers caused the
c o l l i s i o n . T he v e r d i c t i s th e f i r s t
against the entertainment giant since
the same jury last month found the
c omp a ny l i ab l e f or th e c ra s h t ha t
k i l l e d t w o p e o p l e a n d i n j u re d 3 2
others. Metrolink was also sued for its
rol e i n the Jan 6, 2003, cras h bu t
entered into confidential settlements
with the victims before the cases went
to trial. Attorney Jerome Ringler, who
represents Jennifer Kilpatrick, the
injured woman, said the intersection
was clearly marked to warn motorists
of oncoming Metrolink trains. Ringler
accused the 63-year-old delivery truck
d r i v e r, who died at the scene, of trying
to beat the train running along San
F e rn a n d o R o a d w h er e i t cr o s s e s
B ue n a Vi s t a S t r e et . “ T h e re w e r e
l i g ht s . T he r e we r e d o w n g at e s , ”
R i n g l e r s a i d . “ T h a t w o ul d h a v e
w a rn e d a m o t o ri s t u n l e s s h e h a d
clearly ignored them.” Kilpatrick was
a mon g th e mo s t s er i ou s l y i nj ur ed
passengers on the train. Her back was
broken and she spent the next three
months in hospitals for surgery and
r e ha b i l i t a t i o n , R i n g l e r s a i d . A n
e l d er l y p a s s e ng e r d i e d t wo we ek s
l a t e r. The jury y est erd ay award ed
Kilpatrick $11,822,867 to cover her
past and future medical expenses and
p a i n an d s u f f e r i n g . L o s A n g e l e s
C o un t y S u p e r i o r Co u r t J u d g e
Coleman Swart, who presided over the
trial in Pasadena, ordered lawyers for
Univers al and the remaining crash
v i c t i m s t o t r y t o n eg ot i at e a
settlement. If they did not, he told the
a t t or n e y s , he w o u l d l e t ju r i e s
d ete rmi ne the monet ary da mage s .
Before the trial, lawyers for Universal
and the victims agreed to let the
j u r y ’s d e ci s i on on th e c o m p a n y ’s
responsibility in the first case apply
to all the remaining cases. After the
2 0 03
c r as h,
th e
N a t i on al
Tra ns p o rt a ti on
S a fe t y
Bo a rd
concluded that the truck driver may
have encountered confusing traffic
signals at the intersection. The board
recommended that the city of Burbank
ins tal l more p rominent barriers to
g ui d e mo to ri s t s tu rn i ng fr om S an
Fernando onto Buena Vista. It also
suggested that California bar flashing
red traffic signals at rail crossings and
replace them with steady red lights.
C O LUMBUS AREA, MONTA N A,
UNITED STAT E S
d a te d J u n 1 2 , s t a t e s : An e ar l y
morning derailment near Columbus
could delay rail operations until 0100,
officials said. The wreck, which
occurred about 0400, today, knocked
11 railroad cars off the track about
eight miles west of Columbus, said
Ly n d a F r o s t , a s p o k e s wo m a n f o r
Montana Rail Link. About 400 feet of
main and sideline would have to be
replaced, Frost said. Ten of the cars
were empty and the 11th was filled
with particle board. No injuries were
r e p o r t e d . C r ew s w i t h Hu l c h e r
Professional Services Inc. had hoped
to have the wreckage cleared by this
a f t e r no o n , b u t t h e s c al e o f t h e
derailment would likely occupy them
u n t i l e a r l y t o mo r r o w, F r os t s a i d .
T h e re w er e 9 7 c a r s a nd th r e e
locomotives on the eastbound train.
F our wer e s o ba d ly d a mag ed t he y
w o u l d ha v e t o b e s cr a p p e d , a nd
s e v e ra l o t h e r s w er e s t i l l b e i n g
as s ess ed this afternoon. Te n to 12
trains have been delayed since the
wreck, Frost said. The cause had not
b e e n d e t e rm i n e d , a n d a d am a g e
estimate was not yet available.
KA LU TA R A, SRI LANKA
d a te d J u n 1 3, s t a t e s : A t l e as t 4 2
passengers were injured today when
two trains collided in s outhern Sri
Lanka, police and hospital officials
s a i d . T he ac c i d e n t o c cu r r e d a t a
railway station in Kalutara, a town
a b ou t 25 mi l es s o ut h of Co l o mb o ,
police spokesman Rienzie Perera said.
M A D E R A, CALIFORNIA, UNITED
S TAT E S
d at ed Ju n 1 4 , s ta t es : Tw o f r ei g h t
trains collided head-on today, injuring
f i v e t ra i n w or k er s , s o me of wh om
jumped off moments before the crash.
“ I t ’s a miracle they survived ,” said
Erica Stuart, a spokeswoman for the
Madera County Sheriff ’s Department.
“ I t ’s a big, mangled mess.” One of the
BNSF
Railway
w or k e r s
wa s
hospitalized in serious condition, said
spokeswoman Lena Kent. The others
were treated for minor injuries and
r e l e a s e d . O n e o f t he t r ai n s wa s
carrying cement from San Bernardino
to the Bay Area and the other was
t a k i n g p e nt a n e, a me t h an e - ba s ed
l i q ui d f ue l , f r o m R i c h mo n d t o
B a r s t o w. Some diesel leaked from an
eng ine, but no carg o sp i ll ed , Kent
said. A hazardous material team was
called as a precaution and the tracks
were clos ed for at leas t the day in
Madera, about 150 miles southeast of
San Francisco. Amtrak, which uses
the same rails, had to bus passengers.
“ I t ’s too soon to determine how this
ha p p en e d b ut w e a r e d o i ng a f u l l
investigation,” Kent said. Company
investigators didn’t know whether the
trains hit each other at full speed or
ho w ma n y w o rk e r s ju m p e d . S o me
stayed aboard during the collision.
N E WARK AREA, NEW JERSEY,
UNITED STAT E S
dated Jun 12, states: Part of a CSX
Corp. freight train derailed today as it
was heading toward Port Newark, a
Conrail spokesman said. No one was
injured, and passenger trains were
not affected since the Conrail track
involved is only used by freight trains,
said the spokesman, John Enright.
Nine cars of the 50-car train left the
tracks, Enright said. The flatbed cars
were carrying shipping containers,
none of which contained hazardous
material, he s aid. The cause of the
d e r ai l m e nt w as no t i m me d i a t e l y
determined, he said.
N O R WA L K, CONNECTICUT,
UNITED STAT E S
d a t e d J u n 1 4 , s t a t e s : Pa r t o f a n
Am t r ak l o c om o t i v e p ul l i n g e i g h t
p a s s e ng er c a r s d er a i l ed t o d a y,
stranding 236 passengers and forcing
th e s h u t d o w n o f t he M et r o - N o rt h
branch to Danbury. No injuries were
rep or ted . The s ou thb ound el ec tri c
locomotive derailed near the South
Norwalk station at about 1320 as it
was switching tracks. The train was
put back on line just before 1930 and
s er v i ce was re s t or ed t on i g ht . T he
ca u s e o f t h e d e r a i l m e nt w a s no t
i mm e d i at e l y k n o wn . Am t r ak a n d
M e t r o -N o r t h
officials
we r e
in v es t i g at i ng . Wo rk e rs h oo k ed u p
another locomotive to the rear of the
train at about 1600 and pulled the
passenger cars, which did not derail,
back north to Bridgeport. Passengers
were then able to get on other trains.
The derailment blocked access from
M e t r o - N o r t h ’s New Haven line to the
Danbury branch.
PORT HURON, MICHIGAN,
UNITED STAT E S
d a te d Ju n 8, s ta t e s : A t r a i n wi t h
em p t y p r o p an e ca r s d er a i l e d
We d n es d a y ( J un 7) d u r i n g a r ai l
switch near 32nd and Petit streets in
Po r t H u r on To w ns h i p . A C S X
Transportation train was pushing the
tankers west when three tankers and
a c ab o os e t i p p ed p a rt i a l l y of f t he
tracks, Kimball Township fire officials
said. Firefighters from Kimball and
Marysville were called to the scene
about 1135. No one was injured. CSX
s p o k e s ma n G a ry S e a s e s a i d th e
accident is being investigated.
RICHLAND PARISH, LO U I S I A N A,
UNITED STAT E S
d a t e d J u n 1 4 , s t at e s : A t r a i n
25
Railway
derailment today rendered a section of
track in Richland Parish temporarily
inoperable. Terry Thompson with the
Richland Parish Sheriff ’s Office said a
broken rail caus ed t he s econd and
t h i r d e ng i n e o f a Ka n s as C i t y
Southern Railroad train to jump the
track. The derailment happened along
US 80 in front of ANR Pipeline Co.
b e t we e n D un n a n d Ho l l y R i d g e .
T h om p s o n s a i d t h e t r ai n wa s n o t
carrying hazardous material, but the
Louisiana State Police HAZMAT team
would survey the area to determine
the amount of fuel and oil loss from
t h e e n g i n e . N o o ne w as r e p or t e d
injured . Kansas City Southern will
hire a crew to clear the wreckage and
repair the track, Thompson said.
WA I PARA AREA, NEW ZEALAND
d a t e d to d a y, s t a t e s : A w a g o n
derailment on the main trunk line in
N o r t h Ca n t e r bu r y ne a r Wa i p a r a
y e s te r d ay h as d am a g e d t he l i n e ,
causing delays for train services. To l l
New Zealand spokeswoman Sue Foley
s a y s at a ro un d 18 0 0, l as t n i g ht a
g rai n-ca rry ing wag on on a f rei gh t
train derailed. She says the incident
h a s i mp a ct e d o n p a s s e n g e r t r ai n
service to Picton, and buses have had
t o b e a r r a ng ed f o r p r e - bo o k e d
passengers. Sue Foley says work on
the line is expected to be completed
this afternoon.
DRUGS FOUND ON MARSHALL
ISLANDS VESSEL AT MUMBAI,
INDIA
London, Jun 15 — Container Carrier
S ea - L a n d Vo y a g e r a r r i v e d P o r t
M u ha m ma d Bi n Qa s i m Ju n 5 an d
sailed Jun 6.
M I L I TARY EQUIPMENT SEIZED
FROM ISLE OF MAN-FLAGGED
V E SSEL AT DERINCE, TURKEY
dated Jun 12, states: Turkish coastal
s ec u r i t y a g e nt s ha v e s e i z ed s i x
military vehicles, heavy artillery and
s p ar e p ar ts f rom R ol l O n Rol l Of f
S ca n Bothni a ( 8 8 11 gt, built 1998)
h e ad i n g f o r t he U n i t e d A r a b
Emi rates . The officers of the S c a n
B o t h n i a misreported the contents of
two
c on t a i n e r s
as
g e n e ra l
m er c h a n d i s e , t h e A n a d o l u N e w s
Agency reported. After the military
e q ui p m en t w as r em o v e d f r o m t h e
v e s s e l , i t wa s o r d e r e d t o r e m ai n
a n ch o r e d i n t h e p o r t o f D e r i n c e .
Turkey requires all vessels passing
through the Turkish straits to report
all explosive or otherwise dangerous
cargo. Local officials in the Kocaeli
District have reported the seizure to
the national government in Ankara,
which will decide whether to sanction
the vessel or its owners. (Note — S c a n
B o t h n i a sailed Varna Jun 8, passed
Accidents/Miscellaneous
I s t a n b ul J u n 9, an d a c co r d i n g t o
LMIU AIS was in lat 40 45.2N, long
2 9 5 0. 9E , 1 .2 na ut i ca l mi l es fr om
Derince, at 0329, Jun 11 . )
d a te d J u n 1 3 , s t a te s : E i g h t
Ukrainians were on board Roll On
R o l l O f f S c a n B o thn i a s ei z e d b y
Turkish authorities earlier this week.
Foreign minis try sp okesman Va s y l
Fil ipchuk said that Ukrainian
officials are carefully following the
situations with the ship. The ship was
r ep ort ed l y c arry i ng a s hi p ment of
Ukrainian
mi l i t a r y
ha r d wa r e ,
including light cannons for armored
personnel carriers. The customer for
the goods is a US outfit, while the
United Arab Emirates was the cargo’s
d e s t i n a t i o n . Tu r k i s h a u th o r i t i e s
s eized the ship becaus e part of its
cargo was not properly declared.
OUTBREAK OF “BIRD FLU ”
dated Jun 8, states: A new outbreak of
bird flu has been discovered in poultry
i n the Chi nese regi on of Xi njiang ,
according to the country’s agriculture
m i n i s t r y. T h e H 5 N 1 s tr a i n wa s
discovered in birds in Hetian county,
the state news agency Xinhua quoted
the ministry as saying. The report
gave no detail s of how many birds
were infected by the virus. Several
cases have been reported in wild birds
i n r e c en t mo n t h s , b ut t h e l as t
outbreak in poultry was reported in
F e b r u a r y, in the province of Anhui.
C hi na ha s r e p o rt e d m or e th a n 3 0
outbreaks of bird flu over the past
y e a r, b u t a v a c c i n a ti on c a mp a i g n
which began late last year appears to
be proving effective in reducing the
number of cases.
OUTBREAK OF
G A S T R O-INTESTINAL ILLNESS
ON BAHAMAS FLAG VESS E L
d a te d Ju n 9 , s t a t es : Pa s s e n g e r
M e r c u r y is getting a quick cleaning
today in Seattle before it leaves later
today for another week-long cruise to
Alaska. A spokesman for the cruise
line in Miami, Michael Sheehan, says
passengers who became sick on the
last cruise will receive a pro-rated
credit for the time they had to stay in
t h e i r c ab i ns . Th e s h i p ar r i v ed i n
Seattle this morning with what the
C e n te r s f o r D i s ea s e C o nt r o l a nd
Prevention calls an “elevated” number
o f p e o p l e wi t h g a s t r o- i nt e s t i n al
illness. The 121 sick passengers out of
the 2025 on board amounted to six per
cent of the passengers. In addition
four of the 848 crew members were ill.
The main symp toms were d iarrhea
and vomiting. A C-D-C spokeswoman
in Atlanta, Lisa Beaumier (bow-meer),
says it has an inspector on board to
c h e c k w a t e r, f oo d - ha n d l i n g a nd
cl ean ing p roce dur es . S he s ay s the
stomach flu is not uncommon and the
bes t d efense for peopl e is was hi ng
their hands. It’s heard about on cruise
s hip s becaus e they are required to
report every case of gastro-intestinal
illness.
M e r c u r y arrived Juneau Jun 11.
OUTBREAK OF VIRUS ON
BAHAMAS FLAG VESS E L
d a t e d t o d a y, s t at e s : Do z e n s o f
passengers who left Leith Docks for a
cruise last weekend have been struck
down by a “highly contagious” wintervomiting virus. The liner passenger
(cruise) Black Prince ( 11209 gt, built
1966), which has been sailing from
Le i t h s i n c e 2 0 02 , i s d u e b a c k i n
Scotland tomorrow. Eighty-four cases
of the Norovirus have been confirmed
on the Fred Olsen liner. It left Leith
on Jun 3, bo und f or a s eve n-ni ght
cruise of the Norwegian fjords, with
21 0 cr e w an d 4 1 2 p a s s e ng er s o n
board. In a statement the cruise line
com p any s a id t he p as s e ng er s who
have been d i agnos ed wit h t he bug
have been confined to their cabins.
The company said: “Fred Olsen Cruise
Li nes can confi rm that there have
been a number of cases of a Noro-type
virus on its ship Black Prince d u r i n g
th e c ur r en t c r ui s e . “T he c om p an y
ro u t i n e l y ca r r i e s o ut e x t en s i v e
cl ea n s i n g
a nd
d i s i nf e c t i n g
p r o g r am m e s
every
day
and
i mm e d i at e l y th e f i r s t c a s es we r e
rep orted i t pu t int o pl ace a n even
more rigorous hygiene regime. “The
ne x t c ru i s e i s d u e t o d ep a rt f r om
Leith on 10 June and the sailing time
has been delayed to mid-evening to
allow for extensive treatment of the
ship.”
dated today, states: Passenger (cruise)
M e r c u r y (76522 gt, built 1997) has
returned to Seattle, from a trip to
Al a s k a , wi th w ha t i t c a l l s a n
“elevated number” of sick people. In a
statement from Miami, the cruise line
said 115 of the 2034 passengers and
th r e e of t h e 84 7 c r ew m em b e rs
experienced a gastro-intestinal illness
d u r i n g t he w e e k - l o n g cr u i s e . Th e
statement says the norovirus is the
second-most common virus after the
cold and affects 23 million Americans
a year. The vessel sailed from Seattle
last Friday (Jun 2).
Black Prince sailed Leith Jun 11.
Pacific Sun sailed Sydney Jun 9.
BAHAMAS FLAG VESSEL
dated today, states: Passenger B l a c k
P r i n c e has returned to Leith after 136
passengers fell ill. They are believed
to h av e b e en s t r u c k d o wn by a
norovirus, a bug that causes severe
vomiti ng and d iarrhoea. The s hip ,
which docked yesterday morning, had
been due to set sail again yesterday.
H o w e v e r, i t s d e p a r t u r e ha s b ee n
delayed until today to allow it to be
disinfected. The cruise company said
that claims for compensation would be
assessed on a “case-by-case” basis but
some angry passengers said they had
no intention of using the firm again.
Many had been forced to spend much
of the cruise confined to their cabins.
26
Miscellaneous/Fires & Explosions
MARSHALL ISLANDS FLAGGED
V E SS E L
dated today, states: Passenger (cruise)
Va n G og h w a s d u e t o s a i l ag ai n
yesterday after two virus outbreaks in
a fortnight. The Van Gogh received a
c l e a n bi l l o f h e a l t h d e s p i t e 2 8
passengers falling sick on a cruise of
the Norwegian Fjords. Eleven days
earli er 70 p as sengers and 15 crew
were struck by a vomiting bug, and
t h e cr u i s e w as c a nc e l l e d . T h e
Tr avelscope vess el had returned to
Harwich, Essex, on Friday (Jun 9) but
yes terd ay i t was d ue to s ail agai n
with a new set of holidaymakers on
board. The Coastguard said: “It has
been cleaned and is free to sail.”
POWER OUTAGE TO REFINERY,
ARUBA
dated yesterday, states: A company
s p o k e s w o ma n s a i d t h e c o mp a ny
expects to restore partial operation
within a week . Va lero Energy said
F r i d a y ( J u n 9 ) a f t e rn o o n t h a t i t s
refinery on the Caribbean island of
Aruba was shut down by a total power
failure. A Valero spokeswoman said
with all process units down and the
loss of 240,000 to 250,000 barrels per
day of crude input, los t prod uction
includes 80,000 bpd of diesel and jet
fuel, 30,000 bpd of naphtha, 11 0 , 0 0 0
bpd of gas oil, virtually all of which
was bound for the U.S. market. “We
expect to restore partial operation at
the plant within a week, to normalize
the operations at reduced rates within
two weeks, and be back at planned
rates with three weeks,” said Mary
Rose Brown, a spokeswoman for the
c o m p a n y.
A S P H A LT STORAGE TA N K,
H AWAII, UNITED STAT E S
Houston, Jun 14 — Tesoro Corp. was
e x a mi ni n g d a ma g e t o an a s p h al t
storage tank that temporarily halted
a s p h al t p r o d u c t i o n i n H a wa i i , a
company spokeswoman said today. A
h ol e w a s b l o w n i n t h e r o o f of t h e
20,000-barrel tank at Te s o r o ’s 95,000
barrel per day (bpd) Kapolei refinery,
l o c a t e d a b ou t 2 0 m i l e s w es t o f
Honolulu, Hawaii, on Tuesday (Jun
1 3 ) . Te s o r o h as 1 8, 0 0 0 b ar r e l s o f
asphalt on hand and asphalt buyers
have told the company 7,000 barrels
are needed in the next few weeks, said
spokeswoman Natalie Silva. Te s o r o
r a n o u t o f h ea v y c r u d e t o m a k e
as phal t in mi d-M ay and Hawaii an
paving companies s topp ed working
during that time. Tesoro is the only
producer of asphalt in Hawaii. Te s o r o
i s i n v e s t i g a t i n g t h e c a u s e of t h e
explosion and working to determine
w he n i t c a n r e s t a r t a s p h al t
prod uction, Silva s aid . M otor fuels
p r od u ct i o n a t t h e re f i n e r y wa s
unaffected by the asphalt production
halt, Silva said. — Reuters.
BARN AND THOROUGHBREDS,
H O N D O, NEW MEXICO,
UNITED STAT E S
dated Jun 8, states: Former Horse of
the Year Favorite Trick and Grade 1
winner Saratoga Six were among six
T h or o ug h b re d a n d Qu a rt e r Ho r s e
stallions killed Tuesday (Jun 6) night
i n a barn fir e at the JEH Stal li on
Station in Hondo, N.M., according to a
f a r m e m p l o y e e a n d P au l J o n e s , a
shareholder in Favorite Tr i c k . F a v o r i t e
Tr ick was 11. Saratoga Six was 24.
The blaze, which injured no humans,
also killed the Thoroughbred stallion
Gone Hollywood and Quarter Horses
The Down Side, winner of the Grade 1
Champ ion of Champi ons Stakes in
2003; Fredericksburg, 2005 champion
aged stallion; and Southern Cartel,
winner of the 2003 Ruidoso and Lazy
E derbies.
CHEMICAL FA C T O R Y,
G O L I VALI, INDIA
dated today, states: A major fire broke
out in a chemical factory in a village
in Dombivali in neighbouring Thane
d istrict tod ay, fi re brigade sources
said. The fire broke out in a chemcial
factory in Golivali vill age at 0340.
Fi ve fi re engi nes and f ive tankers
were rushed to the spot to control the
blaze, the sources said. The cause of
the fire was yet to be ascertained ,
they said adding that further details
were awaited.
COAL PLANT, COLOGNE AREA,
GERMANY
dated Jun 11, states: A fire at a brown
c oa l p l an t o p e ra te d by Ge rm an y ’s
RW E Po w e r c l o s e to t he c i t y o f
Cologne has caused damag e i n the
lower double-digit million euro range
a c c o rd i n g t o f i r s t e s t i m a t e s , t h e
company said today. The fire broke
o u t ea r l y y e s t e rd a y mo r n i n g a nd
caused damage in five of the plant’s
nine blocs. Two of the blocs had been
on
scheduled
d ow n t i m e
for
ma in ten anc e, wh il e a not her thr ee
w i t h a t ot a l c a p ac i ty of 9 0 0
megawatts had to be switched off. “It
is not clear when the three blocs can
go back on line,” a spokeswoman said.
“ We have s tarted to clean up.” The
reasons for the fire have not yet been
determined, RWE said.
C O TTON MILL, CHESTER
C O U N T Y, UNITED STAT E S
dated today, states: An old cotton mill
continued to burn yesterday, keeping
about 500 residents out of their homes
in this town about 55 miles south of
Charlotte. Gov. Mark Sanford visited
t he s i t e y e s te rd ay an d d e cl a re d a
state of emergency. The declaration
allows local governments to recoup
mo ney s p ent f i ght i ng t he f ir e and
protecting the evacuated area. The
blaze at the former J.P. Stevens No. 3
mill started Tuesday morning (Jun 6),
and firefighters decided to let it burn
its elf out. About 45 p ercent of the
to w n ha d be e n e v ac u a t e d a s o f
y es t e r d a y
night,
said
Leslie
Br a k e f i e l d , a s p o k e s w o m an f o r
Ch e s t e r
C o un t y
E m er g e n c y
Management. Great Falls Fire Chief
Jo hn Jo n es s a i d re s i d en t s o f f o ur
s t r e et s ar o u n d t he mi l l we r e
evacuated because of the thick black
smoke. The cause of the blaze was not
immediately known. Eddie Murphy,
director of Chester County Emergency
M an ag em en t, s a id th e ev a cu at i on
coul d las t up to a week as the fi re
continues to burn. “This is the product
of a changing texti le ind ustry, the
condition of the old mill, and things
l i k e oi l s f r o m t he ol d ma c h i n e s , ”
Murphy said. The polluted air that is
settling over the town could create
other environmental problems, said
Claire Boatwright, spokeswoman for
the state Department of Health and
Environmental Control. The agency
an d t h e f e d e r a l E n v i r o n me n t a l
Protection Agency are taking air and
wa t er s a mp l e s n ea r t he f i r e. L ow
levels of hydrochloric acid that did not
exceed safe levels were found in water
sources just above and below the mill,
Boatwright said. “Our concern here is
he a l t h an d t h e e n v i ro n m en t , ”
Boatwright said. “When chemicals in
the plant interact with the heat, it
produces a meltdown that might be a
th r e a t . ” T h e m i l l h a d a p l as t i c
recycling operation, which is where
of f i c i al s t hi n k t h e f i r e s t a r t e d .
Boatwright said, however, that “no
by p r o d u c t o f m e l t e d p l a s ti c w as
fo u n d ” d u r i n g a p r e l i mi na r y t e s t
We d n e s d a y. Chester County Sheriff
Ro bb y Be ns on s a i d t wo s us p e ct e d
looters were arrested Wednesday in
the evacuated area, which is being
protected by police. Residents with
ap p ro p r i at e i d e nt i f i ca t i on wi l l be
al l o we d to r e t u rn h o me f o r b r i e f
visits, which will be scheduled on a
street-by-street basis as the wind and
other conditions allow, officials said.
F O R E S T, COUNTY
LO N D O N D E R R Y,
UNITED KINGDOM
dated today, states: A major forest fire
which spread over 40 acres in County
Londonderry has been brought under
control, the Fire and Rescue Service
ha s s a i d . Th e f i r e a t Br o u g h d e r g
fo r e s t , c l o s e to S i x Tow n s n ea r
Draperstown, was reported at about
1500, BST, on Thursday (Jun 8). An
intens ifi ed effort to halt the blaze
began at about 0700, BST, and it was
under control about 90 minutes later.
Strong winds had fanned the blaze,
making it s pread rapi dly. I t is not
k no w n h o w i t b e g a n . A b ou t 8 0
firefighters and 15 appliances from
across Northern Ireland attended the
fire, but crews had to withdraw from
th e ar e a o v e r n i g h t be c a u s e th e
conditions were too dangerous. Crews
tackling the blaze faced difficulties
over water supplies because of recent
d r y w e at h e r. F i r e s e rv i c e a re a
commander Ian Doyle said the blaze
27
Fires & Explosions
ha d s p r ead r ap i d l y “ th rou g h fi v e metre-tall fores try and threatened
some property”.
GASOLINE TA N K, GLENPOOL,
OKLAHOMA
N e w Yo r k , J un 1 4 — Ex p l o r e r
Pipeline Co. restarted its refined oil
products pipeline yesterday afternoon
as expected , and the entire s ystem
was back up and running at scheduled
r a t es af t e r a g a s ol i n e t a n k f i r e
Monday forced the system to shut, a
company spokesman said today. “We
restarted at 1600 (CDT) yesterd ay
and all lines are up and running at
scheduled flow rates,” Rod Wo o d f o r d ,
manager of s hipp er relations , s aid
t o d a y. A f i r e i n a 1 5 0 , 00 0 - b a r re l
products tank containing 87 octane
r e g u l a r g a s o l i n e i g n i t e d M o n d ay
morning at the Explorer facility in
G l e n p o o l , O k l a h o ma , a s ub u r b o f
Tulsa. The cause was lightning, the
company said. Explorer on Monday
shut its 28-inch-diameter Houston-toTulsa pipeline that can move up to
7 0 0, 0 0 0 b ar r e l s p e r d a y o f t o ta l
products volume, although it normally
operates at a rate of about 560,000
bpd. Also shut was the northern, 24i nch, 350,000- bpd throug hpu t li ne
from Tul sa to Wood River, Ill inois .
T h e Wo o d R i v e r -t o - C h i c a g o a n d
Gr e en v i l l e , Tex a s - t o- D al l a s s p ur s
we re ab l e to run o n M on d ay u nti l
stored product ran out. But Explorer
s ai d t he e nt i r e s y s t e m w a s b a ck
running at scheduled flow rates today.
The damage at the Glenpool site was
l i mi t e d t o t h e t a n k s t r u c k by
lightning. The company said it was
t o o e ar l y t o e s t i m a t e t he c o s t o f
damage. “Tank 373 appears to be a
total loss,” Woodford said. “But all the
damage was confined to that tank.” —
Reuters.
J E TT Y, KOCHI PORT, INDIA
Kochi, Jun 15 — The Chemical Berth
owned by a Government Enterprise, a
fire broke out at the conveyor bel t
s i t ua t e d a t t h e J e t t y f o r d i r e c t
delivery to the warehouse. The cargo
under d is charge was s ufphur from
Stella Te r e s a Fire fighting operations
we re c ar ri ed o ut a nd t he f i re w as
extinguished within two hours. There
i s no d a mag e t o th e v es s el or any
casualty to personnel. However, the
v e s s e l ’s d i s c h a r g e o p e r at i o ns a r e
temporarily suspended and the repair
work of the conveyor system is being
undertaken on a priority basis. Loss
of cargo in the accident is initially
assessed at one tonne. The discharge
operation is expected to commence
very soon. — Lloyd’s Agents.
PREMISES, FAY E TTE COUNTY,
UNITED STAT E S
d a te d to d a y, s t at es : I n v es t i g at or s
b e l i e v e t h e f i re t ha t d e s t r o y e d a
landmark shopping center in Fayette
C o un t y F r i d a y ( J un 9 ) w a s
accidentally sparked when workers
using cutting torches sliced through
electrical wiring, Dunbar Fire Chief
Tom Bierer said. Workers were using
cutti ng torches to remove material
from the former loading docks in the
vacant Pechin S hop pi ng Vill age in
Dunbar Township, Chief Bierer said.
S tate p ol ice Fi re M ars hal Wi l l i a m
Large, who also helped to fight the
huge fire as chief of the Hopwood Fire
Department, learned that electrical
wires s parked when they were cut
and ignited Styrofoam nearby, Chief
Bierer said. The fire quickly swept
t h r o u g h t h e s h o p p i n g c e n t e r, a
c l u s t e r o f f ra m e bu i l d i n g s w i t h a
co mmon roof off Pechi n Road t hat
once offered groceries, baked goods,
hunting suppl ies, beer and other
items at low prices. The center was
dest royed, with o nly port io ns of
concrete block walls jutting from the
smouldering wreckage and collapsed
roof yesterday. Firefighters from 15
Fa yet te Cou nty c ompani es spe nt
nearl y eight hours Frid ay fighting
t he f ire bef ore bringing it under
control. Dunbar firefighters returned
t here ea rly yest erday a nd a gain
through the day to hose down debris
t h a t r ei g ni te d a nd s p e w ed s mo k e
over the community, the chief said.
No damage estimate was available
last night. No one was injured in the
blaze, which broke out around 1500
h r s . T h e c e n t e r ’s b u s i n e s s e s a n d
cafeteria, which became famous and
at tract ed a f ollowing around the
co untr y fo r the ir lo w pr ic es,
inexpensive mea ls and f riendly
ser vice, move d last year to t he
nearby Laurel Mall on Route 11 9 .
PREMISES, GLENDA L E ,
A R I Z O N A, UNITED STAT E S
d ated tod ay, s tates: Two Wa l - M a r t
S upercentres in Glendal e were the
target of an apparent ars on attack
l at e T h u r s d ay ( Ju n 8 ) a n d co u l d
r ema i n cl o s ed al l we ek en d as f i re
inves ti gators gather evid ence. The
fires caused an estimated $5 million
i n i n v e nt o r y l o s s a nd f o r c e d t h e
e v a c u a ti o n o f e m p l o y e e s a nd
customers, Elio Pompa, a spokesman
for the Glendal e Fire Department,
said Friday. A Wal-Mart spokeswoman
said the fires started in the plasticflower aisle at the 24-hour stores. The
fires were ignited between 2140 and
2300, Pompa said.
R E F I N E R Y, QUEBEC, CANADA
dated Jun 14, states: Valero Energy
C o r p . ’s J ea n G a u l i n r e f i n e ry i n
Quebec had an explosion in one of the
units today. Workers reported the fire
earlier today at the 215,000 barrelp e r - d a y U l t ra m a r I n c . r e f i n e r y.
U l t r a m a r ’s emergency response team
and the City of Levis’ fire prevention
department quickly contained the fire.
N o i n j ur i es we r e r ep o r t ed a nd
e mp l o y e es s i nc e h a ve r et ur n ed t o
w o r k . T he re f i n e r y e m p l oy s 4 9 0
i nd i v i d u a l s . U l t r am a r I n c . i s a
Canadian subsidiary of San Antoniobas ed Va lero Energ y Corp.. Va l e r o
a ss u med con trol ov er t he r efi ner y
operations in 2001 through its merger
with Ultramar Diamond S hamrock
Corp. Richard Boucher, vice president
and general manager of the refinery,
says the company is still assessing the
extent of the damage to its facilities.
Th e c a u s e o f t h e f i r e a n d th e
explosion is still being investigated.
The unit had been closed for a major
shutdown at the refinery that had
been taking place over the last two
months for maintenance. The fire had
be g u n w h i l e r es t a r t i n g t h e u n i t ,
al t ho u g h i nv es t i g a t o r s a re s t i l l
uncertain why. As of this afternoon,
the tank truck loading racks were now
operational and some of the refinery
un i t s t h a t h ad b e e n c l o s e d we r e
currently being restarted. There is no
i mp ac t t o p r od u ct i o n be c a us e th e
refinery has been undergoing planned
maintenance. The startup schedule is
not expected to be delayed.
S LOPS TANKS,
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS,
UNITED STAT E S
d a t e d t od a y, s t a t e s : T he C or p us
Ch ri s ti s h i p c ha n ne l i s c l ea n a n d
comp le tel y o pe n for b us in es s . The
crews cleaning up the 137,253 gallons
of oil spilled last week have managed
to get it al l out of t he water, s ai d
Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Tim Cummins.
Now they’ll spend about two weeks
cl ea n i n g i t o f f t h e s h or e l i ne a n d
docks. To minimize wake while crews
work on the shore, vessels must travel
slowly when they’re west of Tule Lake
Li ft B r i d g e . B ut t h e c h an n e l i s
ot h e r wi s e b a c k t o no r m al . “ Th e
ma j or i ty o f e v e r y t h i n g h as b ee n
cleaned,” said Bob Grimes, director of
public affairs for Valero. “We’re down
to the slow part now. The oil is out of
the water, and they’re concentrating
on t h e s h o re l i n e. ” Ab o u t 1 3 7 , 00 0
gallons of oil overflowed from Va l e r o
was te tanks d uring heavy rains on
Jun 1. A fire caused by a lightning
strike to one of the tanks made the
si tuation wors e because the water
used to fight the fire caused the tanks
to overflow more. The rain caused the
same problem at the Citgo refinery,
where about 230 gallons overflowed.
Citgo spokesman Chuck Cazalas said
Ci t g o h ad f i ni s he d i t s p a rt of t he
cl ea n u p , i nc l ud i n g t h e s h o r e, o n
S u n d a y. Gr i m e s s a i d t o c l e a n th e
shoreline, sand with oil on it would be
scooped up and removed, and rocks
and co nc re te wou l d be cl e an ed b y
hand with hot water. Fewer than 10
bi rd s w e r e a f f e c t ed by t h e oi l .
Cummins said two swallows and one
brown pelican died after landing in
the oil. Allan Strand, field supervisor
of t h e U . S . Pa r k s a nd Wi l d l i f e
D e p a r t m e n t ’s Corpus Christi office,
said that’s better than he might have
expected. “For the amount of oil that
was reported spilled, that’s not a lot,”
he said. The Texas State Aquarium is
helping rehabilitate the three other
bi r d s th a t l a n d e d i n t h e o i l - t wo
ducks and a seagull. Debbie Prevratil,
curator of marine mammals and birds
at the aquarium, said the sparrows
died because they were so small that
they had a hard time recovering from
the oil. And the pelican already had
lost a wing before the spill and was
already weak. It’s hard for birds to
28
Fires & Explosions/Aviation
recover once they’ve had oil on their
feathers, Prevratil said. But the ducks
and the gulls are doing fine.
STORAGE TA N K, OIL FIELD,
RALEIGH, MISS I SSIPPI,
UNITED STAT E S
d a t e d J u n 1 4, s t a t es : T he U . S .
Chemical Safety Board will conduct a
full i nvestigation of an oil field
explosion that killed three workers in
Mississippi and review practices of
the oil and gas industry nation-wide.
The J un 5 ex pl os i on at P artri d ge Raleigh LLC oil field appeared to be
caused when a worker lit a welding
t o o l a n d i g n i te d v a p o rs i n t w o
production tanks, CSB investigator
Johnny Banks said today.
WILDFIRES, UNITED STAT E S
L on d on , J u n 9 — A f i r e a l o n g a
highway in central Alaska more than
tripled, reaching an estimated 10,000
acres and moving to within a mile of
the city of Nenana. All homes along a
13-mile stretch of the Parks Highway
were evacuated last night, said Pete
Buist, fire information officer for the
Ala sk a Divi s ion of Fores try. Bui s t
said he did not know how many homes
were evacuated but six or seven of
them were in the most danger. The
fire started Wednesday (Jun 7) at a
home near the town of Anderson along
t he h i g hw ay, w hi c h ru n s be t we e n
Wa s i l l a
and
F a i r b an k s .
Fire
management officer Robert Schmoll
said details were sketchy, but initial
reports indicated the homeowner had
used a burn barrel and then dumped
embers. The embers lit grass or brush
and ignited the fire, he said. Wi n d s
gusting up to 25 mph spread it north.
Smoke was pouring into Nenana and
even reached Fairbanks, 55 miles to
the north. Fire crews and rigs were
p os it ion ed at the mos t t hreat ened
b ui l d i n g s , an d f i re r et ar d a nt wa s
be in g d ro p pe d on th e bl az e, Bui s t
said.
dated Jun 9, states: Embers from a
burn barrel ignited a fire that spread
to 15,000 acres today, burning at least
one build ing and forcing p eopl e to
e v a c ua t e h o m es a l on g a 1 3 -m i l e
s t r et ch o f h i g hw ay, of f i ci al s s ai d .
Strong wind pushed the flames along
the Parks Highway toward the city of
N e n an a ,
a
river
an d
rail
t r a ns p o r t a t i o n h u b o f 5 5 0 p e o p l e
a b ou t 5 5 mi l e s s o ut h - w es t o f
Fairbanks. The fire was within a mile
of Nenana, wi th t he Tanana Riv er
between the city and the flames. All
t h e ho m e s a l o n g t h e s tr e t c h o f
highway were evacuated last night,
a n d a i r c r a f t we r e d ro p p i ng f i r e
r et a r d a nt o n th e bl az e , s a i d P e t e
Buist, fire information officer for the
Alaska Division of Forestry. He didn’t
k n o w h ow ma n y h o m es w e r e
evacuated but said six or seven were
in the most danger. The fire started
Wednesd ay (Jun 7) at a home near
Anderson, and wind gusting up to 25
mph s pread i t north. The hi ghway
was closed yesterday as the fire
spread. Smoke from the fire poured
i nt o N e n an a a nd e v e n r e a c he d
Fairbanks, according to the Alaska
D e p a r t me n t
of
E n v i r o n me n t al
Conservation.
d at ed Jun 10, s t ate s : Fi ref i ght ers
saved six homes in a north-western
A r i z o n a co m m un i t y w h i c h we r e
evacuated today after an 11 , 0 0 0 - a c r e
wildfire came within a quarter of a
mile of the houses. Evacuees of the
Golden Valley community, about 15
miles west of Kingman, were allowed
to return home tonight. “It could have
been a lot, lot, lot worse,” We n d e l l
Peacock, a spokesman for the team
battling the blaze said . As the fire
approached the community, Peacock
s a i d , a c r e w w a s a b l e t o bu r n
vegetation between the homes and the
fire, stopping the blaze. The fire was
4 0 % c on t a i n e d t on i g ht . N o ot h e r
homes or buildings were threatened
b y t he f i r e , w h i c h b r o k e o u t
Wednesday and Thursday (Jun 7-8)
when lightning storms moved through
north-western Arizona.
dated Jun 13, states: Crews worked to
contain a 6,000-acre wildfire that was
wi thi n a mil e of two s ubd iv is i ons ,
authorities said tonight. The fire was
threatening 26 homes north of Heber,
about 140 miles north-east of Phoenix.
I t w as 4 0 % c o n t a i n e d . O f f i c i a l s
e x p e ct e d mo r e a i r t a nk e r s a nd
helicopters on the scene tomorrow to
help battl e the fi re. Crews work ed
today to build containment lines on
the fire’s western and northern edges.
A p p r o x i m at e l y 2 0 r e s i d e n t s w h o
heeded an evacuation order yesterday
were at a Red Cross shelter in Heber,
said Greg Eavenson, chief deputy for
the
N a v a jo
C o un t y
S he r i f f ’s
Department. Lightning sparked the
fire a week ago. Elsewhere, a wildfire
charred about 1,500 acres in Page in
north-eastern Arizona, and a 12,637ac re wi ld f ire in a wil d erne ss ar ea
n e a r Ki ng ma n i n n o r t h- w e s t e r n
Arizona was 95% contained, officials
said.
dated Jun 14, states: A wildfire southw e s t o f F a i r b a n k s g r e w t o ab o u t
5 8 , 0 0 0 ac r e s t od a y a s i t c h a ng e d
course away from the city of Nenana
a n d h ea d ed t o w a r d t h e t o w n o f
Anders on. The fire was s ti ll about
four miles away from Anderson and
was not a threat to the town, said fire
information officer Tom Kempton with
the interagency incident management
team. Officials did not immediately
call for evacuations in the Anderson
area. Meanwhile, Nenana residents
who had voluntarily evacuated have
r et urn ed to th ei r ho mes . Th e l os s
from the fire remained at a handful of
houses and cabins. Elsewhere, a 275a cr e w i l d f i re ne ar De l ta Ju nc ti o n
c a l l ed t h e J a r v i s C r ee k F i r e i s
considered inactive as crews conduct
mop-up activities, according to Pete
Buist, another forestry spokesman. A
fire near the Little Delta River south
of Birch Lake is up to 9,000 acres, he
said.
dated Jun 14, states: Strong winds
today thwarted efforts to bat tle
several wild fires that have burned
mo r e t h a n 2 0 , 0 0 0 a c r e s a c r o s s
Ar i z o n a . A b l a z e t h r e a t e n e d f i v e
subdiv isions on the west side of
Fl a g s t a f f , f o r c i n g m o r e t h a n 1 0 0
homes to evacuate tonight. The fire
was driven by wind gusts of up to 46
mph as it scorched roughly 250 acres,
fire officials said. Several air tankers
were dropping water and retardant
on the blaze as it burned away from
t h e d o w n t o w n . “ I t ’s l o o k i n g v e r y
good,” said Connie Birkland, a
spokeswoman for the Coconino
Nati onal Fores t, “but t hat d oes n’t
mean that it’s out. We still have a
ways to go, and we still have homes
in danger.” An estimated 120 homes
were threatened, though none were
burned . Officials said a number of
c a mp g r o u n d s w e r e c o n s u m e d b y
flames but an exact number was not
immediately known. The cause of the
fire, which was spotted about 1600
hrs, was under investigation. Crews
continued to wor k on a 6, 000-acre
wi ld fire that threatened homes on
t wo s u b d i v i s i o ns n o r t h o f H e b e r,
a b o u t 1 4 0 mi l e s n o r t h - e a s t o f
Phoenix. It was 40% contained today.
The blaze was sparked by lightning
on Jun 6, authorities said. Elsewhere,
a wildfire charred about 1,500 acres
in Page in north-eastern Arizona, and
a 12,637-acre wildfire in a wilderness
area near Kingman in north-western
Arizona was 95% contained, officials
said.
CRASH, BELLA COOLA,
BRITISH COLU M B I A, CANADA
dated Jun 13, states: The RCMP are
investigating after a small aircraft
bel ieved to be carrying two peop le
crashed near Bella Coola on B.C.’s
Central Coast. The Joint Rescue Coord i n at i on C ent re i n Vi ct or ia ha d
received a call oyesterday saying the
light aircraft had gone down into the
tr e e s n e a r a p r i v a t e a i rs t r i p . A
search-and-rescue aircraft and two
helicopters were sent the scene. The
search crews found the aircraft buried
in mud up to its wings, making the
cockpit inaccessible. A spokesperson
s a i d i t d i d n ’t a p p e a r t h a t a n y o ne
could have survived. The search was
l a t er c al l e d o ff b e ca u s e o f p o o r
weather conditions and the case was
turned over to the RCMP. Authorities
ha v e n o t r e l e a s e d a ny mo r e
information about a pos sible flight
p la n or who was t ho ug ht t o b e on
board.
CRASH, MOSCOW AREA, RUSS I A
dated today, states: A small aircraft
29
Aviation
on a training flight crashed outside of
Moscow yesterday, killing the piloti n s tr u c t o r a n d a p as s e n g e r. T h e
Ya k o v l e v Yak - 5 2 h i t t h e g r o un d
around 1600 hrs as it approached the
l a n d i ng s t r i p n e a r t he v i l l a g e o f
Klimyentevo, said a duty officer with
the Emergency Situations Ministry. It
was unclear who was at the controls
of the aircraft at the time of the crash.
No one on the ground was injured.
CRASH, RENO, NEVA DA,
UNITED STAT E S
See N5455D.
CRASH, TIWI ISLANDS,
NORTHERN TERRITORY,
AU S T R A L I A
See VH-JDJ.
CRASH, UNADILLA, NEW YO R K,
UNITED STAT E S
dated Jun 8, states: A single-engine
private plane crashed at a private air
strip in the southwestern corner of
Livingston county tonight, killing the
pilot and only person on the plane.
Officials have not identified the man.
T h e p l a n e h i t s o me t r e e s b e f o r e
crashing at the Richmond Airport in
Unadilla Towns hip, about 12 miles
south of Fowlerville. Witnesses say
t hey h ear d an ex p l os i on a ft er th e
plane crashed shortly after 1900 hrs.
E C- G O S
London, June 9 — Air Tractor AT802 EC-GOS, owned and operated by
the Instituto Balsar de la Naturaleza,
was destroyed following an in flight
encounter wi th incl ement we ather
during cruise flight near Molinicos,
Albacete Provi nce, Sp ain, at 1750,
U T C, M a y 3 0 . T he p i l o t , t h e s ol e
occupant was killed.
EMERGENCY LANDING,
ATHENS AIRPORT, GREECE
d ated tod ay, s tates: A Boei ng 757,
heading from Egypt to M anchester
Airport, made an emergency landing
at Athens Airport in Greece after the
pilot fell ill. The Monarch flight from
Luxor l anded s afely at 2256, local
time, 2056, BST. Reports suggested
the pil ot had had a s trok e but the
a i r l i ne d i d n ot c o n f i r m t he s e . A
spokeswoman later said he had been
well enough to walk off the aircraft.
None of the 180 passengers on board
the Boeing 757 were injured. They are
due to return to the UK early today.
T h e M o n a rc h s p o k e s wo m an s a i d :
“They landed safely and everything
was fine and he [the pilot] actually
walked off the aircraft and is with
p a r a m ed i c s n o w. ” S h e s a i d a
r ep l ac em en t cr e w f or t he ai r c ra f t
w o ul d b e s e n t f ro m M a n c h es t e r
because the whole crew of the original
aircraft would have exceeded the limit
o n t he i r w o r k i n g h o ur s . T he n e w
flight to the UK is expected to take off
a t a b o ut 0 3 00 , BS T, a rr i v i n g i n
Manchester at about 0600, BST.
EMERGENCY LANDING,
BIRMINGHAM INTERNAT I O N A L
A I R P O R T, UNITED KINGDOM
dated today, states: A freight aircraft
has made an emergency crash landing
at Birmingham International Airport
after d evelopi ng p robl ems with its
undercarriage. The Boeing 737-300
l an d ed o n th e m a i n ru n w a y a nd
collapsed on to its side. The two crew
m e mb e r s we r e u n h ur t . Th e T N T
aircraft was travelling from Liege in
Belgium to Stansted Airport, when it
was diverted to Birmingham. Flights
at Birmingham have been disrupted,
but passengers are being advised to
turn up to check in. Most services into
t he a i rp or t h a ve b ee n d i v er te d t o
Nottingham East Midlands Airport or
C o v e n tr y Ai r p o r t o r ha v e b e e n
cancelled. It is believed the aircraft
will not be cleared from the runway
until this evening.
EMERGENCY LANDING,
CHUBU CENTRAIR,
I N T E R N ATIONAL AIRPORT,
J A PA N
dated Jun 7, states: Boeing 747 jumbo
c a r g o je t o p er a t e d b y At l a s A i r
World wi d e Hold i ngs of t he Uni ted
States made an emergency landing at
a central Japan airport today after an
engine fi re, officials s aid. No crew
members were injured in the landing
a t C h u b u C en t r a i r I n t er n a t i o n al
A i r p or t , s ai d a i r p or t s p o k e s ma n
K a z u t ak a S a d o. F i r e t r u ck s we r e
standing by as the aircraft landed. It
w a s no t i mm e d i at e l y k n o wn h o w
many crew boarded the flight, which
was originally bound for Brazil via
Anchorage. The pilot of the Boeing
747-200F noticed a fire came out from
the No. 1 engine soon after taking off
f rom t he s a me a ir p ort , S ad o s ai d .
After consuming much of its fuel by
hovering over the Pacific for about one
h o u r, the cargo plane landed safely at
the airport, Sado said.
EMERGENCY LANDING,
MIAMI INTERNAT I O N A L
A I R P O R T, UNITED STAT E S
dated Jun 13, states: Fire rescue was
o n h a nd a t M i am i I n t er n a t i o n al
A i r p or t a s a n A m e ri c an A i r l i ne s
a i r c r a f t th a t r e p o r t e d h a v i n g a
hydraulic problem landed. There are
no reports of any injuries or major
problems on the aircraft. American
Airlines spokesman Tim Smith said a
flight from Puerto Rico to Orlando
was diverted to Miami International
A i r p or t a f t er p i l o t s r e p o r t e d a
hydraulic warning light had come on.
T h e j e t l a nd e d w i t h ou t a p p ar e n t
problems just before 1230 hrs. Smith
s a i d F l i g ht 4 7 8 wa s c ar r y i n g 2 6 4
passengers and nine crew members.
H e a d d ed th a t t h e p i l ot s h a d f ul l
c ont rol of the ai rcr aft , wi th thr ee
backup s ystems. The flight was en
route from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to
Orlando, where it was scheduled to
land about 1420 hrs, according to the
American Airlines Web site. Federal
Aviation Administration spokeswoman
Laura Brown s aid authori ties first
di scus sed di verting the aircraft to
Nassau, Bahamas, before opting for
Miami. The passengers will go on to
Orlando on another aircraft.
EMERGENCY LANDING,
M I DWAY AIRPORT, CHICAGO,
UNITED STAT E S
London, Jun 8 — Southwest Airlines
737 was forced to make an emergency
l an d i n g at M i d wa y Ai r p o rt t hi s
morning. Flight 1513 had just taken
off from the airport when a small fire
in the engine compartment forced the
pilot to return to Midway.The aircraft
landed safely. The aircraft was headed
to Fo rt La u d er d a l e . T he r e a re no
reports of any injuries. The jet was
eventually towed back to the terminal.
Al l t h e p as s e ng e rs a re n ow b ei n g
placed on another flight.
EMERGENCY LANDING,
P I TTSBURGH INTERNAT I O N A L
A I R P O R T, UNITED STAT E S
Lond on , Jun 13 — A reg i onal jet
flying from Washington, D.C., to St.
Louis made an emergency landing in
Pittsburgh yesterday after a hydraulic
system failure, but the 38 passengers
and three crew members were unhurt.
Ame r i ca n Co nn e ct i o n f l i g h t 5 5 26
landed at Pitts burgh International
Airport shortly before 1500 hrs after
one of its two hydraulic systems failed
in mid-fli ght, the Pittsburgh PostGazette reported . The pi lot land ed
using a backup system, which later
failed when the aircraft was on the
ground , and the ai rcraft had to be
towed to a gate, where the passengers
disembarked. The airline was making
arrangements for the passengers to
continue traveling to St. Louis, the
newspaper reported, quoting airline
spokesman Bill Mishk. The aircraft is
operated by AmericanConnection, a
regional affiliate of American Airlines
an d a u ni t o f t he S t. L o ui s -b a s e d
Trans States Airlines Inc.
EMERGENCY LANDING,
S E O U L, SOUTH KO R E A
d at e d Ju n 1 0, s t at e s : A n A s i a na
Ai r l i n es Ai r b us a i rc r af t m ad e an
eme rg en cy l and i n g l a s t ni g ht an d
landed safely without its nose, radar
and windows. The aircraft landed at
the airport of Seoul. The aircraft lost
parts in a severe storm between Cheju
island and Seoul. Hail also destroyed
the aircraft’s cockpit windows which
we re ma d e o f s e c ur i t y g l a s s . T he
windows remained in place but the
pilots were unable to see through the
glass. The radar could have solved the
problem, but was also damaged by the
storm. The pilots decided to use two
very small windows on both sides of
the cockpit. The aircraft was carrying
200 people, including 177 students of
primary education schools on a school
trip, a spokesman of Asiana Airlines
said today. The pilots Lee Chan-go and
Kim Yong-ik will be rewarded because
they landed the aircraft safely despite
all the problems. No one was injured
in the incident.
30
Aviation
FLIGHTS GROUNDED,
SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE
AIRPORTS, AU S T R A L I A
L on d on , J u n 1 4 — A i r c ra f t s a t
Sydney and Melbourne airports had
been grounded after a problem with
a i r t r af f i c c o nt ro l , an Ai r s e r v i ce s
Australia (AA) spokesman said today.
AA spokesman Richard Dudley said
a i r t r af f i c c o n t ro l s y s t em s i n
Melbourne had failed, affecting all
flights through airspace in southern
A u s t r a l i a . M r Du d l e y s a i d a l l
aircrafts in Sydney and M elbourne
had been grounded, while flights from
other airports that had been due to
p as s th roug h s ou ther n Aus t ral i an
airsp ace had been delayed. Flights
into Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and
Hobart airp orts were among thos e
a ff e ct e d . “ A p ro b l em wi t h o ur a i r
traffic control system in Melbourne is
affecting flights across southern
A u s t r a l i a , ” M r D ud l e y s a i d . “ I n
p a r t i c u l a r, i t i s a f f e c t i n g f l i g h t s
le aving Sy dney and Mel bourne
ai rports and fli ghts desti ned for
Melbourne. ”
A d v e r t i s e me n t :
“Everything is grounded at the
moment at Sy dney and M elbo urne
a i rp or t s w hi l e w e i nv e s t i g a t e t h e
cause of the problem.” Mr Dudley said
he had learned of the problem only at
1520, AEST, and he did not know at
this stage for how long aircrafts had
been g rounded. Pl anes that had
already taken off, bound for Sydney
and Melbourne, were being allowed to
l and at t hos e ai rp orts , Mr Dud ley
said. “At the moment, as a
precaution, we are leaving planes on
the ground at Sydney and Melbourne
until the cause of the problem with
the air traffic system is known,” Mr
Dudley said. “We are landing those
planes that are in the air at Sydney
a n d M e l b o u r n e . ” Tr a v e l l e r s a r e
advised to contact their airline about
the delays. The air space affected by
the problem is called the Southern
Flight Information Region, Mr Dudley
said.
N23LE
dated Jun 11, states: A small aircraft
m ad e a n e me r g e n c y l a nd i n g a t
C a p i t A l C i t y Ai r p o r t a b o u t 1 3 0 0
y e s t e r d a y. Airport officials say the
a i r c r a f t ’s front landing gear locked
and the aircraft had to land on its
back wheels. Two passengers were on
board, neither one was injured. The
aircraft was damaged though. Crews
ha d t o t emp or ari l y s h ut d o wn th e
runway to respond to the accident and
clear the way.
London, Jun 13 — Piper PA - 2 8 - 2 0 1 T
(Arrow) N23LE landed at Lans ing,
Michigan, with its nose gear up at
1602, Jun 10, while on a flight from
Pontiac, MI, to Mason, MI. The two
persons on board were not injured.
N292HH
London, Jun 14 — Pip er PA - 3 2 R 3 0 1T ( S a r a t og a I I T C) N 2 92 H H
crashed near Kansas City, Missouri,
at 0012, Jun 13. The two persons on
board were killed.
N3265X
dated Jun 12, states: A Cessna 310L
aircraft made an emergency landing
in Butler County this morning. Butler
County 911 said that the Cessna 310L
had problems with its nose gear. The
ai rc raft cir cl ed the But le r Count y
Airport to burn off fuel in order to
land, officials said.
L o nd o n , J u n 14 — C e s s n a 31 0 L
N3265X had nos e gear coll aps e on
l an d i n g
at
Butler
Airport,
Pennsylvania, at 1615, Jun 12. The
aircraft sustained minor damage. The
one person on board was not injured.
N5136X
dated Jun 8, states: A small airplane
crashed today in the mountains near
Lo oko ut Pas s al ong I nter st ate 9 0,
k i l l i ng t he t w o p eo p l e a b o ar d ,
S ho s h on e C ou n t y S h e r i f f Ch u c k
R e y n o l d s s a i d . Re y n o l d s s a i d t h e
p l a n e w a s f l y i n g e as t b o un d n e a r
Kellogg toward the Montana border.
The north Idaho wooded terrain was
obscured by dense fog and a low cloud
ceiling at the time. The two people
aboard weren’t immediately identified
pending notification of relatives. The
c r a s h s i t e w as s e c u r e d b y t h e
Shoshone County sheriff ’s department
and federal investigators were called.
London, Jun 9 — Cessna TU206G
(Stationair 6), N5136X, operated by
Majestic Alliance, while on a flight
from M is s oula, M ontana, to Couer
d’Alene, Idaho, with two persons on
board, crashed, at 2140, UTC, Jun 8,
at M ullan, Idaho. The aircraft was
s u bs t a nt i al l y d am a g e d a n d b o t h
persons on board died.
N5455D
L o nd o n , J u n 8 — B e e c hc r a f t
Bonanza H35 N5455D crashed near
Reno, Nevada, at 2205, Jun 7, while
o n a f l i g h t f r o m R e no t o C o ro n a ,
California.
T he
aircraft
wa s
destroyed. The two persons on board
were killed.
N 6 2 7 PA
dated Jun 8, states: Two people were
killed today when the plane they were
in crashed into a mountain just west
of Lake Pleasant, authorities sai d.
One man and one woman died in the
crash, said Neil Ashton, a battalion
chief with Peoria Fire Department.
The names of the victims were not
immediately known. Nobody else was
aboard the single-engine plane when
it crashed, Ashton said. Ashton did
not know which of the two people was
p i l o t i n g t h e a i r c r a ft . I t w a s n o t
immediately known where the plane
t o o k of f f r om o r i t s p l a n ne d
d e s t i n a t i o n , a n d t h e c a us e of t h e
cra sh al s o was not k nown. As hton
said
the
p l an e
was
b a re l y
recognizable after the crash. “All I can
see is a wing and tail,” he said.
L o nd o n , J un 9 — Ce s s n a 1 5 2 ,
N 6 2 7 PA, operated by DGV Holdings
Inc DBA, while on a local flight from
Deer Valley Phoenix, with two persons
on board, crashed into a mountainous
area, near Glendale, Arizona, at 2140,
U TC , Ju n 8. T h e a i r c r a ft w as
destroyed and both persons on board
died.
N69146
dated Jun 9, states: The crash of a
small aircraft near Ellington Field
last year, killing two, was the result of
a loss of engine power and the pilot’s
decision to return to the airport, a
p r o ba b l e c au s e f i n d i ng b y th e
National Transportation Safety Board
says. The Piper PA-46-310P (Malibu)
(N 6 9 1 4 6 ), c a r r y i n g Au s t i n - a re a
veterinari an Real Rans om and his
wi f e C i n d y A t t wo o d Ra n s o m , h a d
ta k en of f f r om E l l i ng t on at a bo ut
0930, S ep 17, and quickl y cli mbed
ab o u t 2 0 0 f ee t . Wi t n e s s e s to l d
investigators that the aircraft started
making a left turn shortly after takeoff. The NTSB report said that shortly
after take-off, the tower controller
heard a weak transmission that was
not completely understood, although
the words “engine” and “power” were
heard. “The controller asked the pilot
to ‘ S a y ag a i n, ’ b u t t he r e wa s n o
response. She again asked, ‘Say again’
and the pilot transmitted, ‘I’m going
d o wn . ’ T h e re w er e n o f u r t he r
communications from the pilot,” the
NTSB report said. Investigators have
determi ned that when the ai rcraft
wa s a b o ut 4 0 0 f e e t i n t h e a i r, i ts
engine stopped. While in a left turn,
the left wingtip hit the ground and
th e a i r c r a ft c a r t w he e l e d . Th e
Ra n s o m s w e r e k i l l e d i n s t a n t l y.
“ Wi tn es s r ep or ts o f t he a i rp l ane ’s
flight path along with the wreckage
distribution path were consistent with
the pilot’s attempt to return to the
airport,” the NTSB report says. The
reason for loss of engine power could
not be determined. The NTSB report
noted that the dark conditions may
also have been a factor in the crash. A
survey of the aircraft showed that the
fuselage, engine and wing burned on
impact. The aircraft’s landing gear
and wing spoilers were in a retracted
p os i t i on ,
a nd
no
me c ha ni c a l
deficiencies were noted.
N7043G
dated Jun 12, states: A B90 aircraft
crashed into a house at the end of a
runway today in Tampa, killing the
pilot and badly burning the co-pilot, a
police officer said. The B90 plane hit
the hous e about 1230 hrs ET near
Pe t e r O . Kn i g ht Ai rp o r t c l o s e t o
d o wn t o w n Tam p a , s a i d p o l i c e
sp oke swoman Laura M cEl roy. Tw o
men were in the aircraft at the time of
the crash. The pilot died at the scene,
and his co-pilot is in critical condition
at Ta mp a Ge n e r al Ho s p i t a l w i t h
serious injuries caused by burning jet
fuel, an emergency responder s aid.
Fe d er a l Av i a t i o n A d m i n i s t ra t i o n
offi ci al s wer e unab le t o s ay if the
aircraft was taking off or landing or
whether weather was a factor in the
crash. An investigation is under way.
On e w om a n wa s i n t h e ho u s e o n
Severne Avenue when the plane hit,
31
Aviation/Product
b ut s h e e s c ap e d w i th ou t i nju r i es .
Firefighters are working to put out
flames at the house.
d ated Jun 13, s tates : A co-p i lot i s
r ec o v er i n g i n t h e h o s p i t a l a ft e r
y e s t e r d a y ’s B90 aircraft crash in a
Tampa neighborhood that killed the
pilot. Fire officials say the aircraft
crashed shortly before 1300 hrs into a
home on Davis Island south of Tampa.
A wo ma n wh o s e h ou s e w as h i t
s urvi ved and s aid no one el se was
h om e. T h e ar e a wa s ex p e r i en c i ng
h ea v y ra i n s b ut i t ’s no t cl ea r i f
weather was a contributi ng factor.
Tampa police say the private aircraft
crashed as it was trying to take off
from the airport located on the island.
The National Transportation Safety
B oa rd i s i nv e s t i g at i n g . Av i a t i o n
officials say the pilot alerted air traffic
controllers he was having some type of
fuel problem.
London, Jun 14 — Beechcraft Queen
A i r 6 5 N 7 04 3 G c ra s h e d i nt o a
res i d ence nea r Ta mpa , Flo rid a, a t
1632, Jun 12, while on a local flight
from Sarasota, FL. The aircraft was
destroyed. One of the two persons on
board was killed and the other was
seriously injured.
N 9 2 2 FT
Lon do n, Jun 9 — A p res s rep ort ,
d a t ed Ju n 7 , s t at e s : Tr a d e w i n d s
International Airlines’ Boeing 7472 00 F N 9 22 F T wa s d am ag e d a ft e r
sustaining an engine failure on takeo ff f ro m Ri on eg r o /M ed el l Ì n- J os È
MarÌa CÛrdova Airport, in Colombia.
It was loaded with flowers. Ta k e - o f f
was aborted but the airplane overran
the wet runway and came to rest 150
metres past the runway end. MDE has
a single 3500 metre long runway. The
airport was closed from 0705 hrs to
0940 hrs.
N95CE
Lond on, Jun 10 — A p res s rep ort ,
dated Jun 9, states: A small aircraft
carrying three men crashed into a lake
as the p il ot tri ed to l and duri ng a
storm, authorities said today. Crews
recovered the tail piece of the singleengine aircraft this morning, but there
were no signs of s urvivors, s aid Lt
Darren Gilbert, Utah County Sheriff ’s
Department. Two men and a pilot from
Utah County were returning from St.
George, in south-west Utah, when the
aircraft went down at about midnight,
Gilbert said. He said the last radio
contact was at about 2345 yesterday
when the p il ot rep orted he was on
fi nal ap pro ach t o Prov o Muni cip al
Airport. Search and rescue workers
located the debris field in Utah Lake
early today, but had to leave the water
because of lightning in the area.
dated Jun 10, states: Bad weather
t o d a y c a u s e d r e s c u e wo r k e r s t o
suspend a search for three men who
w e re o n b o a rd a n ai r cr a f t t h a t
crashed in the murky waters of Utah
Lake. The pilot and two passengers
w e re s t i l l m i s s i ng a f t er a d a y o f
searching and pi cking up pieces of
f l o a t i n g f i e l d o f d e b ri s y e s t e r d ay
Recalls
about two miles west of a state park
harbour in Provo. The single-engine
t ur bo p ro p a ir c ra ft cr as h ed s ho rt l y
before midnight on Thursday (Jun 8).
The lake is shallow and the water in
the search area averages only nine to
1 2 fe et d e ep , but the s il t y b ott om
ma k es i t d if fi c ul t to s ee, ev e n fo r
divers wearing masks, Utah County
S h e r i f f ’s Lt D ar r e n G i l be r t s a i d .
“Once they’re in the water, visibility is
about nil,” Gilbert said today. Dive
c r e ws f r om U t ah , Wa s at c h a nd
S um m i t c ou n t i e s a n d t h e s t a t e
De pa rtme nt of Publ i c S afet y we re
searching today. “Because the wind
picked up we were getting rough surf
u p t he r e . I t ’s h a m p e r i n g s ea r c h
eff orts ,” Gil bert s aid . Gil bert s aid
public safety workers would probably
r e s u m e t h e i r s e a r c h t o m o rr o w
morning. Authorities were are also
using two different kinds of sonar to
try to locate the bodies. More debris
from the crash washed towards shore
overnight, but there was no sign of
the men who were on board. Missing
were Blaine Pugmire of Springville,
Harold McGuire of Highland and Ray
H o op e r o f M a p l et o n . Pu g m i r e, a n
experienced pilot, was flying McGuire
and Hooper back from a conference in
St. George when the aircraft crashed
during a storm. The stormy weather
d e l a y e d t h e s ea r c h f o r h ou r s a nd
searchers were called back to shore
several times because of high winds
and waves and the threat of lightning.
The Federal Aviation Administration
and National Transportation Safety
Bo ard wer e al s o i nv es ti ga ti ng t he
crash.
L o nd o n , Ju n 1 3 — L an c a i r I V- P
N 9 5 C E c r a s h e d i n t o a l ak e n e a r
Provo, Utah, at 0538, Jun 9, while on
a fl ig ht from S ai nt Georg e, UT, to
Prov o. The aircraft was destroyed .
T h e th r e e p e r s o n s o n b o ar d we r e
killed.
535 miles north-east of Hilo, lat 25
0 4 . 11 N , l o n g 1 4 7 2 6 . 5 3W, af t e r
reporting engine trouble. The U.S.
Co as t Gu ar d d r o p p e d 10 f l ar es to
ma r k a v i s ua l p o i nt f or t he m t o
“d i t c h ” t h e a i r c ra f t a n d a v e s s e l
rescued the man and woman. Since
the re w ere no i nj uri e s , t he v es s e l
con ti n ued t o h er d es t i na ti o n. T he
aircraft sank in under four minutes.
VH-CZE
d a te d J u n 8 , s t a t e s : Tw o p e o p l e
survived after being forced to crash
their plane into the ocean. The plane,
a Piper Seminole, was on its way from
Cali fornia to “the Big I sland”. The
Coast Guard said the pilot reported
losing an engine. The plane ran into
trouble about a thousand miles off the
coast of California. The two people
aboard ditched the plane, which then
sank, about 535 miles northeast of
Hilo. A ship on its way to China was
able to rescue the two people from the
w a t e r. They were not seriously hurt.
London, Jun 9 — Piper PA - 4 4 - 1 8 0
( S em i n o l e ) , VH - C ZE , o p e r a t ed b y
Airflight Pty, while on a flight from
Santa Barbara, California, to Hilo,
Hawaii, with two persons on board,
declared an emergency, at 2115, UTC,
J u n 8 , d u e t o e n g i n e fa i l ur e , a nd
d i t ch e d i n th e Pa c i f i c O c ea n , 71 0
miles north-east of Hilo. The aircraft
was destroyed and both persons on
board were rescued, uninjured, by a
vessel at sea.
Hawaii, Jun 9 — At about 0148, PST,
t o d a y, a couple ditched their twinengine Piper Siminole aircraft about
A I R C R A FT ENGINE VA N E S ,
W O R L D-W I D E
dated today, states: Rolls-Royce has
had to recall faulty aircraft engine
p a r t s ma n u f a ct u r e d a t on e o f i ts
fa ct o ri e s . Th e co mp a ny y e s t er d a y
confirmed that an inquiry had been
ord ered at the I nchi nna n pl ant in
Renfrewshire after three engines shut
down i n mi d -air o n pas s enger jets
because of components built there. In
the most serious case, an engine on a
plane which flew from Sydney airport
failed after take-off. Two other midai r eng i ne f ai lu res we re t rac ed to
defective vanes made at Rolls-Royce’s
S c o t s f ac t o r y f o r V 2 50 0 a i r c ra f t
engines. In at least eight incidents the
vanes, which suck air into the engine,
had brok en und er p res sure. Rol ls Royce has been recalling all the faulty
parts, which it said were made over a
period of a month in 2004 during a
br i e f c ha n g e i n t h e p r o d uc t i o n
process. A leaked company document
s a i d : “ C o n fi d e n c e i n I nc h i n n a n’s
reputation has been severely dented.”
Another internal document said: “A
vane failed during service causing an
engine shutdown. It was one of three
VH-JDJ
London, June 9 — The wreckage of
Beechcraft A36, VH-JDJ, operated by
AI B P ty L t d , w a s d i s c o v e r ed a t
Bathurst Island, NT, at 0920, local
time, June 1. The pilot was fatally
i n ju r e d a nd t he a i r c r af t w as
destroyed.
V T- DA C
L o n d o n , J u n 1 2 — B e l l 40 7
helicopter VT-DAC, operator Deccan
Aviation, lost rotor revolutions per
mi n ut e a n d l an d e d h ar d d u r i ng a
tr a i n i n g
f l i g ht
ne a r
Jakkur
Aerodrome, Bangalore, India, at 1700,
l o ca l t i me , J u n 5 . Th e h e l i c o p t e r
sustained substantial damage. There
were no injuries.
XC- L J U
London, June 9 — Schweizer 269D
h e l i c o p t e r, X C - LJ U , o w n ed a n d
op e r at e d b y t h e G o v e r nm e n t o f
M e x i c o , wa s d e s t r o y e d w h en i t
crashed near Ciudad Juarez, State of
Chihuahua, Mexi co, at 1030, CDT,
M a y 3 0 . T h e p i l ot a n d h i s tw o
passengers were killed.
32
Product Recalls/Port Conditions
i n - s er v i ce f a i l ur e s f or t h e s a m e
reason.” The Civil Aviation Authority
said it was investigating the problem.
Rol l s -Roy ce i ns i s ted the inc id e nts
were isolated and there had been no
recurrence of the fault. A spokesman,
Peter Barnes-Wallace, said: “Thes e
were three inci dents out of the 20
m i l l i o n f l y i n g ho u r s Ro l l s - R o y c e
engines clock up every year. We have
b e e n re c o v e r i n g a l l t h e v a n e s i n
question and expect to recall the final
one this month.”
H O N DA MOTOR VEHICLES,
W O R L DW I D E
To k y o , J u n 14 — J ap a n’s H on d a
Motor Co. said today it would recall
and repair a combined 561,594 units
of the Odyssey, CR-V and Step Wgn
models globally to fix a faulty ignition
switch that could cause the engine to
stop. The recal l and rep ai rs would
cost the company around 2.73 billion
yen, a spokeswoman said. Of the total,
483,185 units are in Japan and were
built between October 1994 and May
1 99 7, Ho n d a s ai d i n a f i l i n g wi t h
J a p a n ’s transport ministry. Most of
the recalls outside Japan cover the
Odyssey minivan sold i n North
America. No accidents were reported
overseas, while five people in Japan
s uf f e r e d bu r n s f r om c o n t a c t w i t h
melted ignition switches. — Reuters.
MOBILE PHONES, JAPA N
London, Jun 9 — Sanyo Electric Co
said Tuesday (Jun 6) it will repair for
free a program defect in the 500,000
W32SA model mobile phone handsets
it makes for KDDI Corp’s au service.
A user can get it fixed at KDDI’s au
s hops or by renewing the p rogram
u s i ng a r ep a i r p r o g r a m S a n y o i s
s en d i n g t o t h e c e l l p h on e s . T h e
company said one of the problems is
the handset battery may not be fully
c h a r g e d . T h e co m p a n y h a s a l s o
r e c e i v e d c o m p l a i n t s t ha t s o m e
batteries have cracked and become
deformed. The company attributed the
defect to a program that controls the
battery charge.
N I SSAN MOTOR VEHICLES,
J A PA N
dated today, states: Nissan Motor Co
is recalling some 150,000 cars due to
troubles with brake parts and electric
devices, the transport ministry said.
The firm reported the recall to the
m i n i s t r y, saying it will cover 144,298
Elgrand minivans produced between
April 2002 and Dec 2005, as well as
11 , 1 5 4 M ar c h mi n i ca r s p r od u ce d
between Feb 2002 and March 2004 in
Japan. The minivans have a design
problem that may make the braking
distance longer, while the minicars
have trouble with its electric switch
system, the ministry said.
SAFETY HARNESSES,
UNITED STAT E S
London, Jun 9 — A press release,
d a te d Ju n 8, i s s ue d b y t h e U . S .
C o n s u me r
Pr o d uc t
Safety
C o mm i s s i o n, s t a t es : T he U . S .
C o n s u me r
Pr o d uc t
Safety
C om mi s s i on , i n co - op e r at i on wi t h
Summit Treestands LLC, of Decatur,
Ala. , today announced a voluntary
recall of approximately 106,000 Safety
Harness es Sold wi th Hunting Tr e e
S t an d s . T h e ha r n e s s e s c o u l d f a i l
during use, resulting in cons umers
falling from tree stands and suffering
s e ri o us i nj u r i e s or d e a t h . N o
incidents/injuries have been reported.
The harnesses are tan or light brown
and were sold as an accessory with
the following tree stands or ladders:
Vi p e r X 5 , G o l i a t h X 5 , Ra z o r X 5 ,
Bu s hm a s t e r
X5,
Broadhead
B a c k p a c k e r, B ul l e t B a c k p a c k e r,
Cl e a r s ho t ,
Openshot,
and
MegaSampson. Only harnesses with
øManufactured in 2005,ø and øMade
in Chinaø printed on a label on the
harness tether are included in this
recal l . They were s old at s po rti ng
goods s tores nationwide from June
2005 through to May 2006 for between
$2 0 0 a n d $ 3 0 0 fo r t h e t r e e s t a n d
including the harness.
BANGLADESH
S ee “Ba ng l ad e s h” u nd er “L abo ur
Disputes.”
I TA LY
Gen oa , Ju n 12 — Por t s i tu at io n:
Genoa: No vessels awaiting berths.
Savona: No vessels awaiting normal,
one ve s se l awa iti ng s pe cia l ber th,
average delay in berthing 12 hours.
La Spezia: No vessels awaiting berths.
SYRIA
A l e p p o , J u n 1 0 — Wai t i n g t i me
presently 24 hours at Lattakia and
tw o d a y s a t Ta r t o us . — L l o y d ’s
Agents.
A l e p p o , J u n 1 5 — Wai t i n g t i me
presently 24 hours at Lattakia and
tw o d a y s a t Ta r t o us . — L l o y d ’s
Agents.
33
Port Conditions
Port Delays
(Information received from BIMCO, Denmark and Indian Ports Association, New Delhi)
Country/Port
Date of report
No. of vessels waiting and/or days delay
Australia
Abbot Point
19-Jun-2006
Coal: One vessel loading at berth; 1 vessel arrived; 11 vessels due by 12/7; up to 1 day’s delay
Brisbane
19-Jun-2006
Coal: Fisherman Island coal berth; Five vessels due by 23/6.
Dalrymple Bay
19-Jun-2006
Coal: Three vessels loading at berth; 17 vessels arrived; 33 vessels due by 6/7; 1-3 days delay for BHP,
Dampier
19-Jun-2006
expected.
15-30 days delay for NTH GoonYella, 7-15 days delay for other grades expected.
Iron ore: Delays expected: 2-8 days; Parker Point A berth: 17-day shutdown 15/6-3/7; 1 vessel due
29/6; Parker Point B berth: 1 vessel loading at berth; 1 vessel arrived; 11 vessels due by 27/6; Parker
Point C berth: 2 vessels arrived; East Intercourse Island; 1 vessel loading at berth; 10 vessels due by
1/7.
Esperance
19-Jun-2006
Iron ore: Three vessels due by 23/6.
Geraldton
19-Jun-2006
Iron ore: One vessel loading; 1 vessel at anchor; 2 vessels due by 30/6.
Gladstone
19-Jun-2006
Coal: R.G. Tanna coal terminal: Three vessels loading at berth; 17 vessels arrived; 38 vessels due by
9/8; 10-13 days delay expected; Barney Point: 1 vessel loading at berth; 4 vessels arrived; 5 vessels due
by 30/7; Plant shutdown notice: no shiploading operations 10-15/7 for maintenance and upgrading of
terminal facilities.
Hay Point
19-Jun-2006
Coal: Two vessels loading at berth; 15 vessels due by 3/7; 1-3 days delay for BHP, 15-30 days delay for
NTH GoonYella, 7-15 days delay for other grades expected.
Newcastle
19-Jun-2006
Coal: Kooragang 4, 5 and 6: Three vessels loading at berth; 11 vessels arrived; 39 vessels due by 9/7;
6-13 days delay expected; Dykes 4+5: 2 vessels loading at berth; 3 vessels arrived; 20 vessels due by
8/7; 4-8 days delay expected.
Port Hedland
19-Jun-2006
Iron ore: Delays expected: up to 4 days; BHP Iron Ore Pty. Ltd., Mt. Newman (Nelson Point), “A”
berth: One vessel loading at berth; 7 vessels due by 1/7; “B” berth: 1 vessel loading at berth; 1 vessel
arrived; 6 vessels due by 28/6; 14 other vessels due by 9/7 at A or B berth 2/4; BHP Iron Ore Pty. Ltd.,
Goldsworthy (Finucane Island “C” berth): 1 vessel loading at berth; 3 vessels due by 26/6; (Finucane
Island “D” berth): 1 vessel loading at berth; 1 vessel arrived; 4 vessels due by 26/6; Cockatoo Island: 1
vessel due 23/6.
Port Kembla
19-Jun-2006
Coal: One vessel loading at berth; 1 vessel at anchor; 12 vessels due by 20/7; 5-7 days delay expected
Port Walcott
19-Jun-2006
Whyalla
19-Jun-2006
Iron ore: One vessel loading; 1 vessel at anchor; 6 vessels due by 29/7.
19-Jun-2006
Eight vessels in port of which 4 loading (1 bulk ammonium nitrate, 2 coils, 1 scrap), 4 discharging (1
for centennial/tahmoor grades.
Iron ore: Two vessels loading at berth; 3 vessels arrived; 10 vessels due by 3/7; 6-10 days delay
expected.
Bulgaria
Bourgas
billets, 1 gasoil, 1 scrap, 1 iron ore); 4 vessels in roads, all to load (1 chemicals, 1 gasoil, 1 coils, 1
empty); 12 vessels due of which 3 to load (1 copper anodes, 1 coils, 1 COC bensoil), 9 to discharge (1
concrete iron, 1 metal, 1 salt, 1 sugar, 2 copper concentrate, 2 coal, 1 iron ore).
Varna
19-Jun-2006
Varna East, Varna West, Balchik: Thirty-five vessels in port operating of which 25 loading (1 scrap, 2
bulk maize, 1 steel sheets, 1 hardboard, 1 liquid urea, 1 bulk sulphuric acid, 4 bulk clinker, 8 soda, 2
bulk silica sand, 1 chamote/kaolin, 1 technical salt, 1 bulk STP, 1 cement), 2 discharging (1 raw
phosphate, 1 clay), 8 discharging/loading (7 containers, 1 bulk coal); no vessels waiting in roads.
Cyprus
Laranaca
20-Jun-2006
No vessels at berth, none at anchorage; 1 conventional vessel due 21/6; no delays expected.
Limassol
20-Jun-2006
Six container vessels discharging/loading at berth; 10 vessels due 21/6 of which 5 containers, 1
conventional vessel, 4 passenger vessels; no delays expected.
34
Port Conditions
Egypt
Adabiya
19-Jun-2006
Four vessels at berth (loading/discharging) of which 4 general cargo.
Alexandria
19-Jun-2006
Thirty-eight vessels at berth (loading/discharging) of which 30 general cargo, 3 bulk carriers, 5
Damietta
19-Jun-2006
Dekheila
19-Jun-2006
Port Said
19-Jun-2006
Six vessels at berth (loading/discharging) of which 1 general cargo, 1 bulk carrier, 4 container vessels.
Suez
19-Jun-2006
Six vessels at berth (loading/discharging) of which 3 general cargo, 3 passenger vessels; 4 tug boats; 3
Suez Canal
19-Jun-2006
container vessels; 22 vessels at inner anchorage, 15 at outer anchorage.
Twenty-two vessels at berth (loading/discharging) of which 15 general cargo, 3 bulk carriers, 4
container vessels; no vessels at inner anchorage, 7 at outer anchorage.
Thirteen vessels at berth (loading/discharging) of which 6 general cargo, 3 bulk carriers, 2 tankers, 2
container vessels; no vessels at outer anchorage.
vessels dry-docked.
Six vessels at berth (loading/discharging) of which 3 general cargo, 3 passenger vessels; 4 tug boats; 3
vessels dry-docked.
Israel
Ashdod
20-Jun-2006
No labour problems; One vessel loading general cargo at berth, 8 discharging at berth (5 general cargo,
3 bulk cargo); 2 vessels waiting at anchorage to discharge general cargo; 1 vessel awaiting orders; 20
vessels due, with 2-3 days delay expected.
Eilat
20-Jun-2006
Haifa
20-Jun-2006
No labour problems; Five vessels loading/discharging at berth (1 container, 4 tankers); 1 vessel due,
with no delays expected.
No labour problems; One vessel loading general cargo at berth, 5 discharging at berth (2 general cargo,
3 bulk cargo), 8 loading/discharging at berth (4 containers, 4 tankers); 5 vessels waiting at anchorage to
discharge (2 bulk cargo, 2 containers, 1 tanker); 5 vessels under repairs/dry-docked, 1 awaiting orders;
14 vessels due, with 2-3 days delay expected.
Pakistan
Karachi
20-Jun-2006
One vessel loading rice at berth, 9 discharging at berth (2 general cargo, 1 wheat, 2 urea, 1 DAP, 3
sugar), 2 loading/discharging containers at berth; 2 vessels waiting at anchorage to load containers, 10
waiting at anchorage to discharge (2 containers, 1 cement, 2 sugar, 4 general cargo, 1 fertiliser); 1
vessel under repairs/dry-docked; 7 vessels due (3 containers, 1 general cargo, 1 sugar, 1 MOL, 1
ethanol), with no delays expected.
Port Qasim
20-Jun-2006
Four vessels discharging at berth (1 palm oil, 2 sugar, 1 fuel oil); 1 vessel waiting at anchorage to load
containers, 5 waiting at anchorage to discharge (1 container, 1 canola, 1 peas, 1 sugar, 1 palm oil);
QICT berth: 1 vessel loading/discharging containers.
Russia
Novorossiysk
19-Jun-2006
Ten vessels in port operating of which 9 loading (1 WRIC, 1 bulk cement, 1 scrap, 1 coils, 1 steel
billets, 1 slabs/steel billets, 1 aluminium, 1 cellulose, 1 wheat), 1 discharging bulk sugar; 3 vessels in
roads, all to load (2 D/O, 1 wheat); 54 vessels due of which 48 to load, 5 to discharge (1 vegetable oil,
1 debars, 3 bulk sugar), 1 to discharge/load containers; Oil terminal: 1 tanker loading crude at berth; 3
tankers in roads, all to load (2 crude oil, 1 diesel oil); 5 tankers due, all to load crude oil.
Slovenia
Koper
19-Jun-2006
Port working normally; Twelve vessels berthed of which 3 loading (1 sawn timber, 2 bulk cargo), 5
discharging (3 bulk cargo, 1 car carrier, 1 tanker), 4 discharging/loading (3 containers, 1 car carrier);
23 vessels due over the next 2 days of which 7 to load (2 bulk cargo, 5 sawn timber/general cargo), 11
vessels to discharge(1 car carrier, 4 tankers, 1 general cargo, 5 bulk cargo), 5 to discharge/load
(4 containers, 1 car carrier).
Spain
Bilbao
19-Jun-2006
Sagunto
19-Jun-2006
Twenty-eight vessels in port operating (3 tankers, 25 others), of which 5 loading, 11 discharging, 12
loading/discharging.
Twenty-one vessels in port operating of which 2 loading (2 steel products, 1 bulk fertiliser), 18
discharging (14 steel products, 1 gas, 1 fruit, 2 vehicles), 1 discharging/loading timber; Outside
commercial wharf: no vessels; no delays expected.
Ukraine
Illichevsk
19-Jun-2006
Seven vessels in port operating, all loading (5 steel products, 1 wheat/barley, 1 wheat); 1 vessel in roads
to load steel products/wood; 17 vessels due of which 6 to load (3 steel products, 2 sulphur, 1 iron ore
concentrate), 11 to discharge/load containers.
35
Port Conditions
Mariupol
19-Jun-2006
Thirteen vessels in port operating, all loading (8 steel, 2 fire-clay, 1 wheat, 2 coal); 16 vessels in roads
of which 11 to load (6 steel, 2 coal, 2 fire-clay, 1 ammonium saltpetre), 3 to discharge (1 equipment/
containers, 1 containers, 1 equipment); 50 vessels due of which 45 to load (26 steel, 7 coal, 6 fire-clay,
1 fire-clay/kaolin, 2 coke, 1 kaolin, 2 slag), 4 to discharge (1 feldspar, 1
containers/equipment, 2 equipment), 1 to discharge/load equipment.
Odessa
19-Jun-2006
Fourteen vessels in port operating of which 7 loading (1 scrap, 3 metal, 1 pig iron, 1 barley, 1 wheat), 6
discharging (2 passenger vessels, 2 baggage, 1 sugar, sand), 1 discharging/loading containers; 5 vessels
in roads of which 2 to load scrap, 1 wheat), 1 to discharge general cargo, 2 to discharge/load containers;
78 vessels due of which 47 to load (36 metal, 6 pig iron, 3 ferroalloy, 2 barley), 5 to discharge (2
bananas, 1 citrus, 1 general cargo, 1 oil), 26 to load/discharge containers.
P ub l is hed by Lloyd’s MIU, Sheepen Plac e, Colch e st e r, Es sex CO3 3LP.
Lloyd’s MIU does not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, nor accept responsibility for errors or
omissions or their consequences.
Copyright © Lloyd’s MIU, a n Informa busi ne s s This casualty information is copyright. Una uthorised copying prohibited by law.
ISSN 0047 4908
If subscribers wish to purchase records for networkable or shared use within their company they can contact
Andrew Luxton on +44 (0) 20 7017 4625.
Lloyd's is the registered trade mark of the Society incorporated by the Lloyd's Act 1871 by the name of Lloyd's
36

Peruvian dockers in privatisation strike

Transcription

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