The cruise ship Fiji Princess ran aground at a reef near Monuriki Island on Saturday, according to Fiji's maritime rescue agency. All 30 passengers and 17 of 31 crew were evacuated from the vessel on Saturday, with no injuries reported, multiple sources indicate. The ship suffered serious damage to its rear left side, including steering equipment, and part underneath, with engine failure and water intake, a Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji spokesperson said.
The main priority on Monday was to reduce pollution risk from the Fiji Princess, which carried about 20,000 litres of diesel fuel, the same spokesperson confirmed. At inspection, there were no signs of fuel tank damage on the vessel, but oil spill equipment was taken as a precaution. Salvage teams were working to remove fuel and oil from the ship with Australian specialist assistance.
Evacuated passengers and crew from the Fiji Princess were taken to Port Denarau, with the remaining crew aiding salvage efforts and berthed on a sister ship, multiple reports state. On Tuesday, March 24, the bulk carrier LMZ Pluto sent a distress signal and requested evacuation after problems in the Norwegian Sea, according to multiple reports. The vessel sails under the Marshall Islands flag and was traveling from Murmansk, Russia, to Santa Marta, Colombia.
Two Norwegian helicopters were sent to assist in the evacuation of 23 people from the LMZ Pluto on that date. The ship experienced engine failure and bad weather, leading the captain to request evacuation of all on board. The LMZ Pluto sailed unmanned after evacuation, drifting and posing a risk to oil installations in the Norwegian Sea.
Special forces Rits from Bergen Fire Department boarded the vessel to attach a towline to a Coast Guard vessel, multiple sources report. The ship was towed to Averøya Industripark on Nordmøre and received a sailing ban until inspected by the Norwegian Maritime Directorate. Police conducted a routine check of the LMZ Pluto, noting it showed signs of being abandoned at sea in bad weather.
The vessel was a 'dead ship' with no motor, heat, or light, and listed up to over 20 degrees, according to Cato Nilsen of Bergen Fire Department. Investigation into the cause of the engine failure is ongoing, sources said. This was the first time such a public-led emergency tow operation was conducted in Norway, multiple reports indicate.
The LMZ Pluto was outside Norway's 12-mile territorial limit, delaying assistance, according to Kystverket. The ship's owner, LMZ Shipping, is responsible for the vessel and handling under international regulations. All 23 Filipino crew members were airlifted by helicopter to Værnes airport on Tuesday, research shows.
The vessel remains unmanned and adrift north of Trondheim, monitored by Norway's Coastal Administration. Norwegian Coast Guard vessel KV Jarl appears to be heading toward the scene, according to ShipAtlas tracking data. The cargo of fertilizer has not been classified as environmentally hazardous by Kystverket, with no pollution reported.
Salvage responsibility rests with the shipowner under international convention, with Kystverket monitoring until salvage begins. In a separate incident, on 23 March 2019, the cruise ship Viking Sky was less than a ship length from running aground during a storm in Hustadvika, Norway, with over 1,300 persons on board. The vessel suffered a blackout due to loss of lubricating oil pressure caused by insufficient lube oil in the engines’ sump tanks.
The blackout recovery on Viking Sky took 39 minutes from blackout until both propulsion motors were operational and the ship had sufficient power to maintain 1 to 5 knots ahead. Blackout drills had been carried out on the ship, but recovery from a full blackout without a standby generator had never been drilled on board. The engineers were faced with a situation they were not practised in managing, making it stressful, with a complex control system and specific sequence needed.
Insufficient training likely contributed to why the blackout recovery was time consuming. Viking Sky left Tromsø on 21 March 2019 with one out of four diesel generators unavailable, exposing crew and passengers to increased risk as it lacked redundancy required under Safe Return to Port regulations. The vessel did not comply with applicable safety standards and should not have departed Tromsø under the prevailing circumstances.
The lube oil sump tank design on Viking Sky was non-compliant with applicable regulations, failing to meet SOLAS and LR Class Rules on safe operation under dynamic inclination, nor with engine manufacturer recommendations. The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority issued 14 safety recommendations to relevant parties to promote maritime safety. It recommends that Fincantieri review and strengthen the design process to ensure future compliance and investigate if other ships have non-compliant tanks.