Boxship scrapes sanctioned tanker off Ambarli port

A feeder ship and an oil tanker sustained damage after both vessels collided off Turkey’s Ambarli port on 7 March.

The 2005-built 672 TEU Orita, was moving towards anchorage, when it came into contact with the anchored 1993-built 150,000 dwt Suezmaz tanker Mia, at 3.30 pm local time.

Mia and its owner, Seychelles-registered Veline Shiptrade Inc., have been sanctioned by the US Office of Foreign Asset Control since June 2020, for allegedly carrying Venezuelan crude oil. While third-party ship databases show that Mia is Guyana-flagged, Equasis indicates that the tanker is falsely flagged, a known method used by the shadow fleet to evade detection. Contact information for Veline Shiptrade could not be sourced.

Owned by Romes Shipping & International Trading of Turkey, Orita appears to have been shuttling between Turkish ports, with its last port of call being Gemlik.

Seasearcher’s casualty information states that Orita was shifted from the accident spot and dropped anchor under its own power, 12 nautical miles off Ambarli, to await instructions from the port authority.

Crew members of Orita and Mia inspected their vessels and found damage on the side shell plating, and Mia sustained structural damage on its port side and water ingress. The impact also created a hole in Mia’s ballast tank, causing ballast water to leak into the sea.

Tug assistance was requested from harbour master and the tug Rescue 2 was sent to the scene, with another tug, Efes 10, on standby. No injuries and pollution were reported. The harbour master has ordered an investigation into the incident and both Orita and Mia are not permitted to depart Ambarli until hull and machinery experts assess the damage to the ships.

Seasearcher states that the owners of the ships could face a fine for breaching safe anchorage regulations.

Alison Koo
Asia Correspondent

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