At Least Seven Confirmed Dead in Sinking of Haitian Ro/Ro Freighter

The toll from the sinking of a domestic ro/ro freighter at Port-au-Prince, Haiti continues to rise as search efforts continue, according to local media. 

On December 23, the freighter Maelys II listed to port and capsized at Port-au-Prince's Varreux Terminal, coming to a rest on her port side. There were 34 trucks aboard at the time of the casualty, and the authorities continued to search the interior compartments throughout the week for missing personnel. "We do not yet have the final death count as there are still bodies inside the ship's hold," a source from the search effort told Le Nouvelliste. 

The cause of the casualty is under investigation.

Photos from the scene show toppled trucks and floating cargo in the water, including a trailer-sized propane tank. The time series imagery suggests that as the vessel listed through 45 degrees, trucks and trailers slid down the deck until they came to rest on the port side, adding more weight to the low side of the ship. 

According to Haiti Libre, some of the deceased may have been looters who boarded the ship to steal cargo while it was gradually rolling to port. Half a dozen small row boats can be seen near the main deck level in images from the scene, each carrying several occupants and undetermined items. 

Terminal Varreux is a multipurpose terminal with a large tank farm for fuel and vegetable oil. It also serves bulk and breakbulk cargoes, as well as ro/ro ships like the Maelys. According to the terminal operator, the freighter was located at a terminal reserved for coastwise cargo transport (cabotage cargo) when she capsized. This means that the wreck is located well away from the berths used by international vessel traffic and should not affect tanker operations, which are important for Haiti's devastated economy. 

"Due to this event, cabotage operations are temporarily suspended, although the supply of the southern peninsula remains a priority," the terminal operator said in a statement. "The Varreux Terminal, its staff and collaborators extend their sincere condolences to the victims' families."

Maelys II is a ro/ro freighter built in 1970 and flagged with an unknown registry. She is owned and operated by a company based in Florida, according to her Equasis record.