Asian River Cruise Ship Sinks Under Tow

A river cruise ship being towed for repositioning in Southeast Asia sank on December 21 leading the cruise operator to rearrange its calendar. No passengers or crew were onboard at the time of the sinking.

The 60-passenger Saigon Pandaw sank in Malaysian waters while being moved from Vietnam to Myanmar. The hull of the ship took on water and capsized in heavy seas, Pandaw River Cruises said in a statement. However, official investigation results are still pending.

Pandaw will accommodate all affected passengers onto its other vessels, or offer them a full refund.

The Saigon Pandaw launched in 2012 and was initially sailing Mekong River cruises in Vietnam and Cambodia. It was being repositioned to Burma (also known as Myanmar), where demand is greater.

For the remainder of the season, Pandaw is going to deploy the 10-passenger Kalay Pandaw in Myanmar, a vessel that launched in 2013.  The line is also launching two new 40-passenger river cruise vessels to Burma in July, the Kindat Pandaw and the Kalaw Pandaw.

Photo: Example of Pandaw River Cruises' vessel - RV Mekong Pandaw, River Expeditions.