The 1980 built livestock carrier QUEEN HIND capsized on Sunday 24th November, 2019 with starboard side resting on bottom and port side remaining above water shortly after leaving the port of Navodari (Midia) in Romania bound to Libya with 14,600 sheep onboard as cargo. All 22 Syrian crew were rescued with one was taken to hospital with hypothermia after falling into the water.
Coast Guard, Police and Firefighters are trying to rescue sheep, but they managed to pick up from water few swimming around animals, those who somehow, made it out from capsized ship. The majority of sheep are trapped inside. In fact 33 animals were rescued by 0100 LT November 25th, the rest are feared to be drowned. It is said that the ship was overloaded and that overload was the cause of disaster, but far more likely, faulty ballasting caused capsizing, or more broadly, low quality crew actions or inactions.
Romania’s main livestock breeder and exporter association, Acebop, called for an urgent investigation.
The vessel was built in 1980 in Japan at Honda Heavy Industries at Saiki as the vehicle carrier ASAKA MARU No 1 trading until July 1993 renamed NAGASAKI MARU until October 1994. Sold again and renamed NANIAMA until September 1997 of which she was sold again this time to MCCL Shipping & Trading, Greece and renamed SEA COQUETTE and from 2017 she was converted as livestock carrier trading as QUEEN HIND homeported at the Republic of Palau.
Watermarked Photos by Capt. Lawrence Dalli. Do not use these images without my permission. © All rights reserved. Malta Ship Photos & Action Photos – www.maltashipphotos.com
Published – Monday 25th November 2019
