A virtually brand new handymax bulker has run aground on the US west coast, the US Coast Guard (USCG) has confirmed.
The 63,386-dwt KM London (built 2017) ran into trouble in the Columbia River near Crims Island at river mile marker 54.5, late on Thursday.
The ship ran aground on the north side of the navigational channel outbound the Columbia River laden with wheat. However, there are no signs of pollution.
It was originally taking on water in two forward compartments, but the ship’s crew is said to have been able to get the flooding under control.
A USCG helicopter crew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter conducted an over-flight and reported no signs of pollution.
The vessel was eventually refloated during Friday morning’s high tide and was taken to Longview, Washington, where it received additional damage assessments.
A Columbia River pilot conducted drug and alcohol testing on crewmembers and the river pilot onboard the vessel at the time of the incident. No injuries were reported.
The Liberian-flagged vessel is owned by Taiwan’s Kuang Ming Shipping and was only delivered in November 2017 from Japanese shipbuilder Iwagi Zosen Co.
