The 13,500 TEU UASC containership Umm Salal ran aground in the world’s second-busiest waterway today.
The accident happened 2 nautical miles from Port Klang in the Malacca Strait after the 366 metre boxship left the port in the early afternoon of April 7, 2017, on its way to Khor Fakkan in United Arab Emirates.
The vessel was refloated and made its way to Port Klang, one of the world's busiest ports, without disrupting traffic in the area.
A UASC spokesperson said: “On Thursday, 6 April at 15:35 local time, UASC’s container vessel M.V. UMM SALAL ran aground while sailing from Port Klang, Malaysia (MYPKG) to Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates (AEKLF), on the AGX1 service.
“The vessel was successfully refloated on Friday, 7 April at 16:24 local time. UASC crew is safe and accounted for and no pollution was reported.
“An underwater survey has been conducted reporting no damage to the vessel or cargo on-board but the incident has caused a slight 24 hour delay to the sailing schedule. UASC is liaising with customers as needed regarding any potential delays to cargo.
“The vessel is currently en route to Khor Fakkan as part of its normal rotation and it is estimated to reach the port on 13th of April.”
The Malacca Strait is the stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
It serves as the main transit route for supplying vital commodities to fuel the fast-growing economies of Asia and beyond.
Port Technology has contacted UASC for further details.
*Original story updated on April 10, 2017.
