Parts of the crew of cargo ship Äkua (IMO 8826369), aboard which a fire broke out in the
superstructure while at anchor off Temryuk on May 10th, have been repatriated from the vessel. As of August 18th, permanent repair works were yet to commence. A departure permission has not been issued by the Harbour Master due to the incomplete repair works. A guard crew remained on board for the time being. No AIS since May 2022.
1989-built, Vanuatu-flagged, 2,980 gt Äkua is owned by Aquas Ltd care of manager Alkarbon Enerji Madencilik ve Ticaret AS of Istanbul, Turkey. It is entered with Hydor.
Inland cargo ship Southford (MMSI 244660449) struck a bridge in Scheldt-Rhine Canal near Rilland, Zeeland, Netherlands, in the evening of August 17th, for unknown reasons.
Nobody was injured. The bridge sustained minor damage.
Fire erupted on board landing craft Western Star on August 17th at South West Bay on Malekula island, Vanuatu. The fire soon engulfed the vessel (see video). Pacific Energy had
hired the Western Star to transport fuel (apparently in barrels) to its clients in the islands. Tug and emergency response teams were deployed. Preliminary reports said there were no signs yet of any oil spill and that the vessel’s hull seemed to remain intact. Three people were injured, one of them having to be hospitalized.
The Western Star was reported to have been chartered by Pacific Energy, owner Silentworld Shipping & Logistics Vanuatu Ltd (Solomon Islands).
General cargo ship Sun Unicorn (IMO 9178422) suffered an engine failure shortly after exiting the Bosphorus in the Black Sea shortly on August 17th while en route from Istanbul to Novorossiysk, Russia. Istanbul Traffic Control Centre dispatched a tug and pilot boat. The disabled freighter was towed to Kumkoy Anchorage, Black Sea, Istanbul, where it was anchored after about four hours. As of August 18th the vessel was at anchor at Bosphorus N Anchorage.
1998-built, Palau-flagged, 2,990 gt Sun Unicorn is owned by Stefania Mikhaela Shipping-Bze care of manager Sun Unicorn Navigation AG of Baar, Switzerland. ISM manager is Azovskiy Prichal Ltd of Rostov-na-Donu, Russia.
