A Japanese reefer ship has become immobile after hitting a breakwater in Hakata port in Fukuoka in southern Japan.
The 200TEU Lady Rosemary was en route from when 15 minutes before midnight on 28 November, the ship hit the breakwater, running aground.
The ship is operated by Chuo Kisen and had left Hakata’s Hakozaki wharf, carrying bananas bound for Kobe in western Japan when the accident happened. The Fukuoka branch of the Japan Coast Guard said it is investigating the cause of the accident, with negligence suspected as the cause.
The accident spot is 1km southwest of Suzaki wharf. While the grounding of Lady Rosemary did not affect sea traffic, the ship is unable to be refloated and patrol vessels have put up an oil fence to prevent the spread of oil leaking from the stricken ship.
Lady Rosemary is owned by Japanese tonnage provider Doun Kisen and an employee there told Container News that the company has engaged a salvage specialist to remove the ship.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
