Oil spill confirmed from bulker grounding in northeast Japan

A portion of the ship’s wood-chip cargo was lost from the damaged part of the hull. Japan’s Coast Guard helped airlift crew members from the ship and the crew of 21 Chinese and Filipino nationals have been confirmed to be safe.

At 4:15pm on 12 August, NYK reported that the hull split in two and that oil had spilled into the ocean.
Japan Coast Guard said leaked oil had been sighted, floating in an area about 24 km in length and up to about 800 m in width as of 5 pm on 12 August, reaching the coastline near Misawa in Aomori prefecture.

Officials have begun cleanup work, and about 1,600 tonnes of oil remain on the ship, according to reports.

NYK has organised a crisis management centre led by company president Hitoshi Nagasawa to address the situation. Company personnel have been sent to the site to provide support to the shipowner and ship-management company.

The split hull is about 4 km offshore, and the on-site response is being carried out by Japan Coast Guard, patrol boats and tugboats.

Riviera Maritime Media will be hosting TUGTECHNOLOGY 2021 in London, UK 25-26 October 2021 - use this link to access more information and register to attend or exhibit at the event