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Container ship rescued nine crew members of sunken AHTS
Nine crew members were rescued by the 'Maersk Karachi', enroute from Navegantes to Singapore, after the AHTS 'Leo' (IMO: 9007142), with 18 crew members on board, sank off the coast of South Africa on the early morning of March 1, 2026, about 80 nautical miles off the coast of the Western Cape region. The offshore tug got in distress about 18 nautical miles offshore under stormy waters between Cape Town and Durban while returning from Durban, where it had sailed on Feb 25, to Lagos. Ithad issued a distress call on Feb 28 at 5.02 p.m. initiating official rescue operations by the SASAR. A mayday relay was subsequently broadcast via Cape Town Radio to alert nearby vessels to render support. The crew abandoned ship into four life rafts before the vessel sank. Two merchant vessels, besides the 'Maersk Karachi' the roro m/v 'Grand Hero' (IMO: 9339806), enroute from Gothenburg to Port Elizabeth, and one local fishing vessel in the vicinity, the Boronia', assisted with SAR operations under challenging conditions, including strong winds, high swells, and limited visibility. The roro vessel rescued three castaways, the fishing vessel found one deceased crew member. A helicopter was deployed to provide aerial support across the search area. There were 18 crew members on board, 12 of whom were successfully rescued. The survivors were conveyed to Port Elizabeth, where officials from the Nigeria High Commission were on their way to receive them. At this time, one person has died and five others remained missing. Search operations are ongoing iapproximately 80 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay, to locate the missing crew members. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has suspended the SAR operation on March 2 at sunset. The 12 surviving crew members of the 'Leo' have been safely disembarked in Port Elizabeth, where they have received medical attention and support. Regarding the deceased crew member, the formal identification was underway in collaboration with the relevant authorities.. Five crew members remained missing. Throughout the operation, multiple vessels and air assets were deployed to support the SAR mission under the coordination of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Cape Town. A navigation warning remained active, advising mariners transiting the area of potential debris, the last‑known position of the sunken vessel, and the presence of unrecovered life‑rafts. Mariners were requested to continue reporting any sightings of debris, pollution, or persons in the water to MRCC Cape Town or Cape Town Radio.
Collision off Constantza
On Jan 9, 2018, at 7.20 a.m. the "Maersk Karachi" was in collision with the "Oguz Sofuoglu", both en route to Constantza, about 14 miles off the coast in the vicinity of Durankulak. Both vessels continued the voyage and safely arrived at Constantza, where damage surveys were carried out. The "Maersk Karachi" had sailed from Chornomorsk on Jan 7 at 07.48 a.m. bound for Constantza. She berthed at the CSCT Constanta Terminal on Jan 9 around 5 p.m. The "Oguz Sofuoglu" sailed from Diliskelesi on Dec 7 at 10.28 p.m. bound for Constantza.
Maersk Kararchi to enter ME5-service
The "Maersk Karachi" which is still at anchor on the New Weser Roads is to be inserted in the ME5-service from Europe to India on Oct 22 in Algeciras, with the schedule actually ending on Nov 16 in Chennai.
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