The roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) cargo vessel Coyhaique, which grounded near the Chilean Port of Aguirre in the early morning hours of July 3, is listing heavily and taking on water.
The Navimag-operated vessel ran aground near the Islote Oscuro, with 224 cattle in trucks aboard.
The cattle are being fed but a number of them have already died, according to local reports.
The Chilean Navy said the ship’s hull had been breached and the engine room flooded, while the crew and passengers had been evacuated.
Divers are currently sealing leaks in the hull and a number of naval assets are deployed as part of efforts to ensure the buoyancy of the 1983-built ship.
Unconfirmed reports have indicated that the ship grounded after the captain committed suicide.
In a statement on July 3, Navimag confirmed that an officer aboard the ship had died, adding that the cause of the death was not known.
Autoridad Marítima de #Aysén continúa con resguardo de Motonave “Coyhaique”. Ya se han reparado vías de agua e iniciado plan de achique; además, se planifica extracción de animales en forma segura. pic.twitter.com/9vgCtaR3Q2
— Armada de Chile (@Armada_Chile) July 6, 2019
World Maritime News Staff