A tanker has grounded off Vietnam after being abandoned by its crew in Philippines waters six days earlier.
VN Express reported that the 13,900-dwt King Rich (built 1990) was discovered on the rocks at Cu Lao Cham Island off central Quang Nam Province on Friday.
The Sierra Leone-flag vessel suffered water ingress on 18 November, 81 nautical miles (150 km) west-northwest of Badoc Island in the Philippines.
All 16 seafarers evacuated when the propeller shaft broke and water started flooding the engine room, the Inquirer reported.
The 132-metre ship was not carrying a cargo at the time.
Bad weather has prevented an inspection by the Vietnam Border Guard, which told the Quang Nam Maritime Administration that measures could be taken to stop the ship sinking and causing pollution.
The Inquirer cited the vessel’s master, Van Swandi, as saying the crew had tried to pump out water but the attempt was insufficient.
He then gave the order to abandon ship.
Swandi said the crew made sure fuel tanks would not leak any oil before they left.
Rescued by CMA CGM boxship
The Indonesian and Chinese seafarers were picked up from life rafts by CMA CGM’s 1,692-teu container ship Sheng An (built 2023), which arrived at Subic Freeport in the Philippines the next day to disembark them.
Equasis lists the tanker's owner as Kindom Co, care of Green Ship Management of Taiwan.
The King Rich has no port state control detentions since 2013 and no listed checks since 2014.
Its insurance cover is not known.
