Sunday, February 29, 2004 The Singapore-flagged Bow Mariner blew up and sank late Saturday. In the most significant maritime accident so far this year, the U.S. Coast Guard was searching early Sunday for survivors of a chemical tanker that exploded and sank off Virginia's Chincoteague Island, killing at least three crew members. The ship's owner is the Norwegian shipper Odfjell. The Bow Mariner was carrying 3.5 million gallons of industrial ethanol which will certainly cause significant environmental consequences. The explosion killed at least three of the 27 crew members. The ship is managed by Ceres but is owned by Norway's Odfjell Seachem. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued six critically-injured survivors from a lifeboat. Ships and aircraft continue searching for 18 missing crew members in cold ocean waters about 80 kilometers offshore from the state of Virginia. According to CNN, the cause of the blast is under investigation. The Coast Guard in Washington contacted Singapore, which will also take part in the investigation, Dye said. Lt. Chris Shaffer of Emergency Services based in Ocean City, Maryland, told The Associated Press that the explosion occurred after a fire started on the ship's deck. Because, the explosion occurred in international waters, the Coast Guard doesn’t have automatic jurisdiction. Officials in Singapore and from the Coast Guard would have to negotiate how that will be handled. See the CNN story, click here. See the VOA News Story, click here. See the Pilot Online news story, click here. See other articles re disaster, click here. The vessel was in transit from New York to Houston with 24 Filipino and three Greek crew. The six survivors are being treated with one in a critical condition, two in serious condition and three in good condition. Because this accident happened in navigable waters, the rights and liabilities of shipowners, insurance carriers and crew are governed by admiralty and maritime law. In order to understand these laws, you may contact me toll free at 1-866-936-7447 or email us directly. Information on The Bow Mariner The Bow Mariner is a ship managed by the CERES Helenic Shipping Enterprise, LLC. Their mission statement reads as follows: VISION "Ceres Hellenic Shipping Enterprises Ltd., believes that ecologically sound and safe, seaborne trade promotes world peace, supports a unique form of communication between nations and assists the development of peoples who strive to improve their standard of living. Ceres will always endeavor to provide superior client service by achieving Maximum Quality through zero casualty tolerance. We strive to be a leader in the ship management industry, by utilising new information technologies in shipping, consistent with our strategic goals and by realising maximum efficiency through superior management. We aim at exploiting new horizons and new markets worldwide by forging strategic alliances with new or existing customers." Ceres Office is based in Piraeus, Worldwide Agency Network, Over 3,000 Seamen, 200 Shore Personnel, ISO 9001:2000 & ISO 14001. Members of Boards & Associations of: ITOPF, WOE, UK P&I, ABS, DNV, INTERTANKO, INTERCARGO, HELMEPA
Comments