Steel structures for the Muscat International Airport Project went down with the Atlantik Confidence
When the "Atlantik Confidence" sank on Mar 31 also a shipment of steel structures for the Muscat International Airport Project was lost. 30,000 tonnes of steel structures (around 5,000 metric tonnes by weight) destined for the multi-billion dollar airport expansion project went down, the consignment, along other steel shipments bound for other destinations in the region, was lost when the bulker sank at around 10.55 a.m. some 149 nautical miles southeast of Masirah Island.
An official pinpointed the position of the vessel’s sinking as Lat 20 12, 942 N / Long 061 26 02 E when a tug dispatched by Smit Salvage was underway to the site to assess the possibility of stabilizing the vessel before attempting any salvage of the cargo or towing it to port.
The blaze had triggered an explosion that caused a breach in the ship’s hull.
The all-Turkish crew, who had taken to lifeboats, were initially rescued by the "Alpine Marie", an oil tanker transiting the area, and later transferred to the "YM Pluto". With assistance provided by Oman’s maritime authorities, a private passenger launch was dispatched from Masirah Island on Apr 2 to rendezvous with the "YM Pluto". All 21 seafarers transferred to the launch which brought them to Masirah Island. They were described as in good health when they came ashore. Of the 21 men, six left the Sultanate via Muscat International Airport later that evening, while the rest departed early on Apr 3. An official of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs said the waters around the sunken cargo ship would continue to be monitored for signs of any fuel oil or other contaminants leaking into the sea. Given the site’s distance from Omani coasts, any pollution-related threat would be minor at this juncture, he stressed. Further, with water depths estimated in excess of 3,000 metres in the area, any threat to navigation was also ruled out.
When the "Atlantik Confidence" sank on Mar 31 also a shipment of steel structures for the Muscat International Airport Project was lost. 30,000 tonnes of steel structures (around 5,000 metric tonnes by weight) destined for the multi-billion dollar airport expansion project went down, the consignment, along other steel shipments bound for other destinations in the region, was lost when the bulker sank at around 10.55 a.m. some 149 nautical miles southeast of Masirah Island.
An official pinpointed the position of the vessel’s sinking as Lat 20 12, 942 N / Long 061 26 02 E when a tug dispatched by Smit Salvage was underway to the site to assess the possibility of stabilizing the vessel before attempting any salvage of the cargo or towing it to port.
The blaze had triggered an explosion that caused a breach in the ship’s hull.
The all-Turkish crew, who had taken to lifeboats, were initially rescued by the "Alpine Marie", an oil tanker transiting the area, and later transferred to the "YM Pluto". With assistance provided by Oman’s maritime authorities, a private passenger launch was dispatched from Masirah Island on Apr 2 to rendezvous with the "YM Pluto". All 21 seafarers transferred to the launch which brought them to Masirah Island. They were described as in good health when they came ashore. Of the 21 men, six left the Sultanate via Muscat International Airport later that evening, while the rest departed early on Apr 3. An official of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs said the waters around the sunken cargo ship would continue to be monitored for signs of any fuel oil or other contaminants leaking into the sea. Given the site’s distance from Omani coasts, any pollution-related threat would be minor at this juncture, he stressed. Further, with water depths estimated in excess of 3,000 metres in the area, any threat to navigation was also ruled out.
