MOL Bulker Bright Century Collides and Sinks off Shangdong Peninsula, China

May 7, 2010 - PRLog -- Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL, President: Akimitsu Ashida) reports that the MOL-owned bulker Bright Century collided with a freighter in foggy conditions while under way on the high seas approximately 23 miles east of the Shangdong Peninsula (37°38”N 123°07”E), China. It sank some 40 minutes later, on May 2, 2010, at around 5:30 a.m. local time (GMT+8 hours). The crew of 23 (all Indians) was rescued by another vessel steaming nearby. The vessel with which Bright Century collided was the Liberia-registered Sea Success. That vessel’s crew was rescued by helicopter and all are safe. It has been reported that the Sea Success is now docked.

The Bright Century left Dampier, Australia, with about 170,000 tons of iron ore bound for the port of Bayuquan, Liaoning Province. At the time of its sinking, the vessel had around 400 tons of fuel oil and about 70 tons of diesel oil left in its tanks. An oil slick approximately 5,500 meters long and 1,000 meters wide has been observed, and Chinese authorities are taking the necessary countermeasures. As of May 7, none of the slick had touched shore.  

On May 2, MOL established a task force headed by President Akimitsu Ashida.

The cause of the accident is currently under investigation.



Ship type: Bulker

Gross tons: 90,267 tons

Deadweight tons: 178,739 tons

　Flag: Hong Kong

　Built: 1997　

　Ship management company: Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (Hong Kong) Ltd.

　Seafarers: 23 Indians


NOTES TO EDITORS:

MOL is one of the world’s largest multi-modal transport companies, operating 861 vessels and employing a workforce in excess of 9,200 worldwide. MOL operates one of the largest and most diverse networks of liner and logistics services around the globe, including weekly Transpacific, Transatlantic, Americas and Asia-Europe services.  Please visit the company’s website at www.MOLpower.com.    

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