The containership MSC Silvana VIII has partially sunk off Zhoushan, China, after efforts to refloat the grounded vessel failed.
The 20-year-old containership is 332 metres long. It entered the Zhoushan ship repair area on June 22 after arriving from Gwangyang, South Korea. The vessel appears to have run into trouble and grounded when Typhoon Bavi struck Zhejiang last month.
Subsequent attempts to refloat the ship failed. The vessel has continued to take on water; the stern, engine room and several cargo holds were flooded.
Salvors have removed around 3,000 tonnes of fuel from the vessel. Imagery from August 7 showed evidence of fuel oil escaping from the ship.
MSC has not issued a public statement on the casualty. The cause of the grounding, the extent of structural damage and the next stage of the salvage operation remain unclear.
