A small cargo ship ran aground yesterday over here at Seaview Beach, Karachi. Ship was parked at the outer anchorage, awaiting a change of crew. Story behind this incident is that the Hong Kong based ship was heading for Istanbul, Turkey. But the crew needed to be changed here at Karachi - Everything below is right now gathered from social media. It's the Monsoon season over here these days. Therefore the sea is very rough. So what happened is that the original crew disembarked by boat, while the new crew couldn't get onboard, (because of the rough sea conditions) - Leaving the ship with just a 2 or 3 member kitchen staff, none of whom knew anything about how the ship is run, (nor could they communicate properly in English)... Just at this time during the night, a storm came above. And so combined with the already rough sea - Both anchors broke off, and the ship started to drift towards land. Someone from the ship finally managed to radio for help. Please keep in mind that this was during the Eid holidays, so the entire country is shutdown... Eventually someone who heard their distress call raised Pakistan Navy. Navy said that they are fully aware of the situation, but since it's a privately owned ship, not hijacked, not a threat to anything on the coast, nor any Navy ship, and neither any Navy installation - Means that it is none of their concern... We aren't your nanny, (they said)! Next someone from KPT raised Pakistan Maritime Security Agency. They said that since it isn't a smuggling vessel, nor a terrorist threat to any other vessel at sea, it is none of their concern either. Your fate is your own KPT, (they said while laughing into the phone). Meanwhile the kitchen crew onboard the ship was panicking. They kept radioing KPT (Karachi Port Trust Authority) for help. But they were told to standby, help is on the way... KPT next called Pakistan Coast Guards. Coast Guard said what do you want us to do about it? Blow it to bits before it runs aground? Don't bother us as we've got better things to do. You messed this up yourselves KPT, so don't come crying to us for help now. As this is entirely on you. Then they too slammed the phone down! Now, in a final act of desperation, KPT called Pakistan Customs. They said, do you have any reason to suspect that the ship has contraband on it? KPT answered no, we don't. So Customs said then why the hell are you nagging us about it at this hour? Go to sleep and let us sleep also! By now KPT officers were trying to explain to the kitchen crew of the ship. About how to start the engine and steer the ship towards deeper water. But the crew wasn't able to understand. Stormy weather didn't allow, otherwise KPT would have easily flown technicians to the ship by helicopter. Just at this time phone in the KPT control room rang. It was the Lifeguards Department from Seaview Beach calling. They said, did you guys lose a ship from the outer anchorage? Well whatever it was, it's here now... This has already become an unforgettable embarrassment for KPT.
Karachi Port Trust Authority just said this on Twitter. Looks to me as if they've washed their hands off any responsibility. By putting the entire burden on the ship owner. I think this ship is going to become a permanent fixture at my beach.
It's completely wedged in the sand now. So not likely to ever come out again. I was thinking, why can't somebody buy it from the owner, (they will be forced to sell it at a throw away price, as the ship isn't seaworthy anymore). Now instead of scraping it for steel - Why not convert it into a restaurant or a hotel? One day this coronavirus pandemic will end. So by then this could become a new tourist attraction! I'd sure love to go on it's deck at high tide with my fishing rod. But who listens to me anyway...
They say July is a most unlucky month for ships around Karachi... As this is the peak of the monsoon season. Which makes the sea very rough, all small boats are forbidden from going out to sea during this time, from late May to early September. July 1940s: A ship ran aground at Clifton beach, (which is right next to Seaview beach). Cause unknown, or lost in history. July 1974: Locally built ship named Abba Sindh ran slightly off course from the harbor chennal, collided with a sunken wreck of another ship from 50 years ago, and sank... Entire crew rescued my Mr. Nazar Durrani of KPT, who went out on beat to answer the ship's distress call. Fault was of the harbor pilot. July 1979: Fire in the engine room of a cargo ship at the outer anchorage made it inoperable. This ship was tossed by waves, which brought it at Clifton beach. This ship was partially scraped, but some parts of it remained stuck in the sand. Until recently, wreckage of this ship could still be seen sometimes at extremely low tide. July 1987: Another small cargo ship's anchor broke when it was parked at the outer anchorage. Sea was so rough that night and the ship tossing so badly, that the crew didn't notice that their anchor had broken off. A few hours later around dawn, crew heard a huge bang and the entire ship started to list, (tilt) - At first they thought that another ship had collided with them in bad weather, (as visibility was terrible in the storm). But as they went out on deck to see the damage - They discovered that they had actually ran aground at Seaview beach... July 1993: A fishing troller ran aground at Seaview beach. Same story as before, anchor broke off during a storm... But this had a wide flat bottom. So once it floated back up at high tide, and moved elsewhere on Seaview beach. Eventually owners of this fishing troller brought 2 heavy tugs, and pull it back into deeper water during high tide. July 1995: Another fishing troller collided with a Pakistan Navy submarine during rough sea and storm. Troller was trying to get into the harbor, while submarine was heading out. Entire fault was of the troller. Heavy damage to the fishing troller, minimal damage to submarine. But one Navy officer dead, who's body washed up on Seaview beach. July 1996: Pakistan Navy's midget submarine on a special forces training mission sank. But entire crew of 12 escaped and survived, all due to the heroic efforts of commander Noor-ul-Islam, who was the skipper... Later this submarine was raised, refurbished, and still is in service of the Navy. July 2003: Oil tanker Tasman Spirit also went slightly off course from the harbor chennal. Then collided with the sunken wreckage of Abba Sindh from 1974. This resulted in the largest oil spill in history, near a populated mega city. July 2021: This latest headache arriving at Seaview beach. All the information above I am reconstructing from my own memory. And whatever happened before the late 1970s, is from what I have heard from elders...
Its interesting how, in some countries, foljs will see a situation like this and go out of their way to unite and save the day: government agencies, private groups, etc. Yet in other countries everyone simply takes the "not my job" mindset, regardless of government agency. I wonder what's respinsible for the difference.
You know I asked someone in authority about this. Why did everyone say that it's not our job? Answer I got is this: KPT (Karachi Port Trust Authority) would have easily flown technicians to the ship in distress by helicopter - But couldn't because of bad weather... Navy however could still have easily sent any of their special forces teams to the ship, regardless of weather. And once onboard, they could have easily restarted the engine and steered to ship back towards deeper water - But I was told that they have to adhere to a very strict protocol, according to international maritime law. So if the ship wasn't hijacked by terrorists or pirates. They can't touch it. If the ship is in distress, they'll need written permission from the owner of the ship, (or the insurance company). Which couldn't be achieved in time, (I'm told that they did try, but the owner couldn't be reached). Otherwise Navy is fully equipped to deal with such situations. However international maritime law is always a neverending headache for everyone. It is actually very likely that the owner of the ship knew that his vessel was doomed. And deliberately made himself/herself unavailable to give permission... As then he would have later been made to pay for the rescue, (which insurance usually doesn't cover). Also, had the Navy special forces boarded the ship on their own authority, (without permission from the owner) - Then the owner would have the right to drag the Navy into court, and but the entire burden of the accident on them. Thus forcing the Navy to pay millions in compensation, as well as exceeding their authority. Because getting on a ship without permission is seen as trespassing on private property... So not wanting to get entrapped like that, military decided to do nothing. And instead told KPT to seek permission - As KPT is partially responsible for this colossal blunder. Because this didn't even qualify as a medical emergency. However the owner of the ship deliberately kept making himself unavailable. Entire fault is of the original captain to start with. Who was too eager to get off the ship with his crew before bad weather rolled in - Also next day over here was the day of Eid, (Islamic holiday), so the entire country would have shutdown for 3 days... Therefore he and his left the entire ship in the hand of the to cooks, (as al-capitano probably wanted to catch the first flight out)... So could there be anything more unprofessional and irresponsible??? Meanwhile the new crew couldn't get onboard until the bad weather passed. So for one whole night during the storm, at the night of Eid, ship only had 2 cooks onboard, (who didn't know anything about how a ship is run). They were just told to throw the badder to the new crew whenever they would arrive. Original captain and his crew will most likely lose their license for this... Meanwhile, funny thing - Whenever a ship runs aground anywhere. Whoever gets on board first, can claim salvage rights. The crew can't, but anyone else can, (international maritime law). Since these 2 cooks weren't part of the official crew, they have claimed salvage rights! So now hey are going to be rich for generations! As all the ship breakers are negotiating with them right now, and trying to settle on a price. Everything in the containers now also belongs to those who have claimed salvage.
A few massive tugs have arrived, so they are now going to attempt to take this ship back out to sea, (as it's stuck on a sandbar) But there is a real danger that the ship can get torn apart. So right now they are draining the ship's fuel tanks, as nobody wants another spillage at the beach like in 2003...
Owner of the ship was given 48 hours notice, to find a way to get the fuel off the ship. Failure to do so resulted in the Navy sucking away all the diesel, (over a hundred tons), which they now get to keep for free! Deadline is till 15th of August, for the owner of the ship to try and take it away. So far the 2 tugs which came - Have completely failed to pull the ship out. After 15th of August, ship and it's cargo will automatically become the property of Pakistan. Owner will lose everything. A few more even heavier tugs are going to arrive soon... Audio of the ship's distress call too has now been leaked. No idea if it's authentic or fake...
15th of August is the last date, for the ship owner to do whatever it takes to pull the ship back out to sea. But so far everything has failed... So at midnight tonight, this ship and all the cargo on it, will automatically become Pakistani property. Either they will scrap it. However there is now social media pressure from the general public. To convert it into a restaurant and/or hotel.
Now that the owner of the ship has finally arrived, (probably realized that it's no use trying to hide), and paid all the heavy fines through his nose to get his ship back - We now suddenly see 2 powerful tugs, with a barge in the ocean, and a giant winch at the beach, along with some excavators. So today at high tide they were successful at pulling the ship about 200 meters out into deeper water. It really seemed like it will start to float today, but unfortunately the tide ran out again... So they will try once more tomorrow. Here are the pictures I took for you all to see.
