The rescue operation of a vessel stuck at Seaview became further complicated after a crane barge also grounded at the beach on Thursday.
A crane barge deployed for the salvage operation of the cargo motor vessel (MV) Heng Tong 77 also stuck at the Seaview beach on Wednesday.
The rescuers would have to pull the grounded crane barge out before salvage of the MV Heng Tong 77, sources said. The salvage operation will resume on Thursday again, the authorities said.
On Wednesday, a tug boat also failed to get close to the stranded vessel due to high tidal waves.
The tug boat and a floating crane was deployed for the salvage operation of the cargo ship in the sea.
An earlier attempt made by the rescue teams to salvage the vessel stuck at the beach was failed on Tuesday.
The 98 metres in length and 20 metres wide vessel MV Heng Tong 77, with a capacity of 3,600 deadweight tonnage, was said to be waiting for a crew change outside the Karachi harbour while on its way to Turkey from China when tidal waves caused it to lose its anchors and start drifting towards the shore.
Earlier, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs had declared MV Heng Tong 77 unseaworthy and decided to seize the vessel under the regulations of Merchant Ordinance 2001. The captain of the cargo vessel was formally informed about the decision.
In its letter, the concerned authorities wrote to the cargo ship’s captain that the navigation and machinery system of the vessel was not working. It added that the unseaworthy cargo ship was dangerous to the human lives and assets.
In July, the Pakistan Navy along with other maritime stakeholders had safely completed the defuelling process of the merchant ship that ran aground at Seaview beach in Karachi.
