KARACHI: Cargo vessel MV Heng Tong 77 that was stuck at the Karachi coast in July and later rescued and berthed at Karachi Port has left for the port of Dubai.
The Karachi Port Trust had issued a port clearance certificate to the shipping agent after payment of the port charges and other expenses. The vessel was allowed to leave after paying dues of more than $23 million. The vessel stuck at Karachi’s Seaview beach was re-floated on September 7 after multiple failed efforts and later berthed at the port.
A tug boat will drag the cargo vessel (MV) Heng Tong 77 from Pakistani waters to Dubai. The ship will later be taken from Dubai to Qatar, The route of the tug boat and the plan to drag the vessel have also been handed over to the KPT authorities.
On September 7, the operation to salvage the stranded cargo ship, MV Heng Tong 77, from Karachi’s shore was completed successfully after the hectic efforts for 48 days.
It was the third attempt as two previous rescue operations had failed. At least two crane barges and two tug boats under the guidance of an expert salvage master were used in the operation.
On July 21, the Hang Tong 77, manufactured in 2011, got stuck in the sand near Seaview Beach due to a broken hanger. The ship was registered in Panama and weighs 2,250 tonnes. The KPT officials said that the ship came ashore due to high waves and a weak engine. The ship was carrying 118 tonnes of bunker fuel.
After the vessel ran aground at Seaview beach in Karachi in July, the Pakistan Navy along with other maritime stakeholders had safely completed the de-fuelling process of the ship to avoid an environmental disaster.
