Kenya Ports Authority has successfully re-floated a Liberian container carrier, Msc Eagle F, to avert a marine ecological disaster at the entrance of the Kilindini channel.
According to KPA, the ship had partially sunk for over twenty-four hours following a grounding on Monday at around 11:35 a.m.
The Liberian ship had lost its engine as it approached the Kilindini channel from Port Louis, Mauritius, her last port of call.
The channel, however, was not affected as the ship movements went on as usual.
Photo of Mombasa port
Photo
Enact Africa
Newly acquired salvage tug boat Mwokozi II, with a bollard pull of 120 tons, led the afternoon joint salvage operation with its 18 crew on board.
Mwokozi II was assisted by harbour tugs Pate and Nyangumi with 75 tons and 58 tons of bollard pull, respectively.
KPA’s three tugboats safely towed the ship laden with 9709 metric tons into the Port, bringing anxious moments that stemmed from the grounding to an end.
The successful salvage operation was jointly undertaken with a Southern Engineering Company (SECO) team, whose tug, Alpha Falcao, stood by the casualty overnight in case the crew required evacuation.
Mwokozi 11, delivered by Med Marine in April this year to the Kenya Ports Authority, is the most powerful tugboat ever delivered to Kenya’s coastline and operates majorly in Mombasa.
It was designed to meet the authority’s requirements of ship handling, towing, and salvage operations as is required by East Africa and Indian Ocean regions.
The salvage operations create a new revenue stream for the Kenya Port Authority and enhance its corporate image as a leading port along the Western Indian Ocean Seaboard.
Med Marine said it is a vital addition to Mombasa and is part of Kenya Ports Authority’s modernization and maintenance program, which aims to enhance efficiency and safety at sea.
File image of the busy Mombasa Port in Mombasa County, Kenya
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