A cargo ship ran aground while attempting to anchor just off the Port of Gladstone in central Queensland, Australia, on Friday, September 18.
Local authorities said a recovery operation led by Maritime Safety Queensland is underway to render assistance to the crew of the Liberian-flagged Capesize bulk carrier Cape Falcon, which became stranded six nautical miles off the port at around 15:42 local time on Friday.
The ship had earlier departed the Hay Point Terminal south of Mackay.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has assured that there were no injuries, pollution, or damage to the ship as a result of the mishap.
The ATSB said it will gather data from the ship's voyage data recorder as well as other details as part of an ongoing investigation. The agency will provide a substantive update on the progress of the investigation when it releases a preliminary report in about two months.
The ATSB's investigation’s findings will be contained in a final report to be released at the conclusion of the investigation. The final report will also detail the agency's analysis of the evidence to support those findings.
Should a critical safety issue be identified during the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so safety action can be taken.
Cape Falcon has meanwhile been detained by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to permit inspectors to assess her seaworthiness.