Cargo ship with 160 containers capsized on sandbar

The "Isla Bartolomé" ran aground on a sandbar in the afternoon of Feb 23, 2017, shortly after leaving Guayaquil off the northern coast of Isla Puna Island, while en route to Galapagos Island with 160 containers loaded with supplies and frozen goods. The ship started to list to starboard and capsized in shallow water between the buoys 7 and 8 in the channel of Cascajal cose to Posorja. Fishermeen saved the crew of the sinking ship. Helicopters were sent in order to try to track drifting containers which broke lose from the semi submerged ship's deck carrying all kinds of cargo. A small spot of fuel was observed which was expected to evaporate soon. Tugs were sent on Feb 24. The Governing Council of the Special Regime of the Galapagos (CGREG) and the Ministry of Transport and Public Works declared a state of emergency in the island region. In addition, the transportation of perishable food to the province by airlift was allowed by Eliecer Cruz, minister-president of the Galápagos Government Council. In the afternoon of Feb 24 President Rafael Correa ordered the start of aircrafts of the Ecuadorian Air Force (FAE), assisting small supply ships, to avoid shortages in the islands. Meanwhile, the government ruled out a shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as the company Petroecuador dispatched normal gas of domestic use on all the islands, since there was enough stock. The "Isla Bartolomé" was used since 2015 by the National Navy to transport cargo towards the archipelago.