Thailand : Cargoship sinks after vessels collide

Cargoship sinks after vessels collide
Katerina Kerr
Wed, 3 Aug 2011

Drama in Thai harbour as crew escape when water floods cargo hold

A cargo ship sank in Udom Gulf harbour, off Thailand’s Chon Buri province, yesterday morning local time, after colliding with another vessel.

There have been no reports of casualties.

According to local reports, Chon Buri marine police said a large cargo ship, registered in Panama, the Unison Vego, was manouevering to anchor at Siam Seaport Harbour in Udom Gulf when its engine shut down and it collided with the Ocean Tower, another cargo vessel anchored nearby.

The collision created a hole in the Ocean Tower and it sank as water flooded into the cargo hold.

Marine police told reporters that the 20-strong crew on the ship had been safely evacuated. Besides loss of the ship, cargo damages were expected to be very high.

ifw-net.com