A listing car carrier has grounded off the Russian Black Sea port of Tuapse.
Russian maritime agency Rosmorrechflot said the 1,164-ceu Lider Bulut (built 2000) had been deliberately beached on 18 June after taking on water.
The ship had requested help from Tuapse rescue services.
Divers later discovered water had entered the car carrier through scuppers, the openings in the hull that should allow water to drain instead of pooling inside a vessel.
“During the work, the divers discovered several holes that need to be closed. The crew is doing this,” Rosmorrechflot said.
The agency added that the list of the vessel has decreased by two degrees. The car carrier had originally listed more than 10 degrees to starboard.
The multifunctional rescue vessel Rescuer Demidov has been measuring water depths near the Lider Bulut.
The crew has continued to pump out water, only taking breaks during the night.
Russian reports said the ship is flying the flag of Cameroon.
Crew tackle the problem
The vessel has 28 crew on board, including Georgians and Turks.
Rosmorrechflot put the accident down to a ballast system fault, which was in the process of being fixed by the seafarers.
On 19 June, water was reported to have entered the engine room.
Brokers reported that the ship was sold in April as RoRo Feeder 1 by Ugland Castor Car Carriers. Its current ownership is unknown.
VesselsValue rates the ship to be worth $10m.
