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A cargo ship sailing under the flag of Sierra Leone ran aground late on July 24 near the northeastern coast of Crete, the largest island in Greece, prompting a large-scale emergency response and the arrest of two officers from the ship.
The ship, MN Kostas, is a 5,800 deadweight ton (dwt) general cargo vessel built in 1994. It measures 106 meters in length and 15 meters in width. At the time of the incident, it was transporting a cargo of plaster from the port of Sitia, Crete, and was headed to Chekka, Lebanon.
According to the Hellenic Coast Guard, the ship ran aground around 11:30 p.m. in the sea area between 6 nautical miles from Sitia and about 3 nautical miles west of Sideros, at the northeastern tip of Crete. After the grounding, the vessel began taking on water.
An evacuation was immediately ordered. The Coast Guard dispatched three patrol boats, and the Sitia Port Authority sent personnel aboard a fishing boat named ANNA-TASIA. Additional help came from nearby fishing vessels, private crafts, and passing ships.
All 14 crew members were safely evacuated onto ANNA-TASIA and transported to the port of Sitia without injury. Everyone was reported to be in good health.
Video Credits: HellenicCoastguard/YouTube
Three tugboats, Achilleas, Captain Dimitris IV, and Mentoras, reached the grounded ship from Heraklion to assist. A fourth tugboat is expected to arrive to provide further technical support. Divers were also deployed to examine the reef and the ship’s condition.
As of now, no marine pollution has been detected at the site. Authorities confirmed that the situation is being closely monitored to avoid any environmental damage.
The Sitia Port Authority is leading the preliminary investigation. It was confirmed that the ship’s captain and the acting bridge watch officer have been arrested. They are being investigated under Article 277, paragraph 2 of the Greek Penal Code for causing a shipwreck, and Article 225 of the Public Maritime Law Code for violating regulations aimed at avoiding collisions, in this case, with a reef.
Earlier this year, the ship was cited for labor-related violations. The International Labour Organisation reported that the crew had only received half of their wages for four months, with a total of nearly $18,500 owed. The issue was later resolved.
References: greekcitytimes, cretetip
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