The process to remove a bulk carrier that has run aground off Richards Bay is likely to be a very complex one.
The process to remove a bulk carrier that has run aground off Richards Bay is likely to be a very complex one. The ship, the MV Smart, got wedged on a sandbank not far from the harbour mouth in heavy seas yesterday afternoon. Residents have been coming out to Alkantstrand to see the stranded coal carrier. One of them, a shipping agent, Jason Strait says the vessel has been badly damaged. "Basically what had happened is, because of the bad swells we had yesterday, the vessel was taking structural damage. She was twisting and bending," he said. He says moving the vessel is likely going to be a very complex task. "We going to have to investigate what's taken place. They'll have to seal and remove the fuel and diesel off the vessel. You still have 148 000 tons of coal on the ship, so she is just loaded. We will see from there," he added.
