Freighter Strikes and Sinks Anchored Coaster off Vung Tau

On September 14, a freighter struck the coaster My An 1 at an anchorage off Vung Tau. The My An 1 sank with a cargo of clinker and 40 tonnes of bunkers on board, according to Vietnamese authorities. 

AIS data provided by Pole Star shows that at 0220 hours on Tuesday morning, the 13,000 dwt freighter Lisa Auerbach left her anchorage position and headed west, making about 10 knots. She approached the 8,000 dwt bulker My An 1 at about 1928, then came to a stop. 

According to local media, the My An 1 sank shortly after she was struck. All 17 personnel aboard the vessel - including four passengers - were safely rescued by the Lisa Auerbach, and no injuries were reported. 

An anti-pollution boom has been deployed around the site of the sinking. As the My An 1 went down in a busy anchorage, the Vung Tau Port Authority has issued a warning to shipping about the location of the hazard, and response vessels are posted at the site of the wreck. As the anchorage is located away from the main shipping channel for the entrance to Vung Tau, the casualty will not impede port operations. Responders plan to deploy a marker beacon at the site of the hazard shortly. 

The My An 1's owner has been tasked with formulating a salvage response plan, including oil pollution abatement. 

The Lisa Auerbach is a 13,000 dwt geared freighter owned in Germany. Her last PSC inspection, conducted in Antwerp in June, noted issues with her records of work and rest, emergency drills and fixed firefighting equipment, according to her Equasis record.