Cargo ship distressed near Little Basses Reef

A Bulk Carrier named ‘MV Eurosun’ which was sailing under the flag of Liberia has been distressed on Sri Lankan waters near Little Basses Reef on the south-east coast of the island, Sri Lanka Navy reported.

The vessel carrying cement had been en route to Trincomalee Port from Abu Dhabi Port of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), when it ran aground today (January 23) about 5.5 nautical miles (10km) off the southeastern coast of the island.

On receipt of distress call to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC Colombo), a Sri Lanka Navy ship and craft were rushed to the scene from the ports of Hambantota and Galle.

The two vessels boarded with Navy divers have reached MV Eurosun and begun preliminary investigation.

However, no damage to the bulk carrier’s hull has been reported and there is no sign of water leaking into the ship or oil into the ocean, the Navy said in a statement.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the bulk carrier sailing under Liberian flag has a shipment of over 33,000 MT of clinker and a storage of about 720 MT of bunker, the Navy added.

Further, an aircraft of Sri Lanka Air Force has carried out an aerial reconnaissance in the area to capture aerial footage, following a request by the Navy.

MRCC Colombo located at Navy Headquarters is carefully observing the developments into the incident, the statement read further.

Little Basses Reef is located 14km off the coast of Yala National Park. The offshore lighthouse on the Little Basses Reef, which is a famous tourist attraction, is maintained and operated by the Navy and Ports Authority.