The Marine Department reported a incident on October 7, involving the Singapore-registered tugboat, CHG 11 (IMO NO. 9252319), towing the barge ETHAN, also of Singaporean registration. The barge was carrying 4,000 tons of granite on a route from Songkhla to Singapore when water entered the barge’s hull, causing the vessel to tilt to its starboard side.

 

The incident occurred in the Gulf of Thailand, approximately 3 nautical miles from the mouth of Thepha’s waterway, in Songkhla province, at coordinates Lat 6°54.1326’N Long 101°00.0676’E. Despite attempts to pump the water out, the vessel began to sink, with half of the barge submerged

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The tugboat is owned by CHG Marine Services PTE. LTD., and its local representative is Lion Oil Limited. Upon receiving the distress signal, the crew of the CHG 11 was able to safely tow the barge to a shallow area for salvage operations. The incident did not occur in a major shipping lane, and no obstructions to maritime traffic were reported.

 

All eight crew members aboard the tugboat were confirmed to be safe, with no injuries or fatalities. Additionally, there were no reports of oil spills or environmental pollution resulting from the incident. Salvage operations are ongoing, and authorities continue to monitor the situation to ensure it remains under control.

 

Picture courtesy of Marine Department.

 

-- 2024-10-08

 

 

Water looks calm in that photo but the Gulf has had a lot of waves in recent weeks.

And an overloaded barge with a loose cargo that can shift unexpectedly can be a serious problem.

Lucky for them they were in fairly shallow waters apparently or that thing would have sunk like a rock in seconds.

 

4,000 tons of granite, jeez.....I wonder when the hull was last inspected to take that kind of weight. 

7 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The incident occurred in the Gulf of Thailand, approximately 3 nautical miles from the mouth of Thepha’s waterway, in Songkhla province, at coordinates Lat 6°54.1326’N Long 101°00.0676’E. Despite attempts to pump the water out, the vessel began to sink, with half of the barge submerged

A new reef.... excellent idea.