Bulk carrier runs aground in southern Sri Lanka

A bulk carrier with a cargo of cement clinker ran aground in the Kuda Ravana Kotuwa reef in southern Sri Lanka on Saturday, January 23.

The Liberian-flagged Eurosun had earlier departed Abu Dhabi and was sailing for Trincomalee when it ended up on a shallow area 10 kilometres off the Sri Lanka Navy’s Little Basses lighthouse in the early afternoon (local time) of Saturday.

After receiving a distress call from the ship, the Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre in Colombo ordered the Sri Lanka Navy to despatch two vessels and a team of divers to the area.

Upon arriving on-scene, the divers conducted an underwater inspection of the bulk carrier’s hull and confirmed that there were no signs of water ingress or oil spills. However, they discovered that around 70 metres of the ship’s keel was damaged and resting on the bottom.

A Sri Lanka Coast Guard vessel and a civilian harbour tug were also deployed to the area in response to the grounding.

Navy officials said that no injuries have been reported among Eurosun‘s crew of 15 Filipino nationals and three Ethiopian nationals.

Officials added that the high tide experienced in the late evening of Sunday, January 24, refloated the ship, allowing it to be towed to deeper waters.

The navy said that repairs on the ship’s main engine will need to be carried out as the incident had left it unable to sail under its own power.