COSCO bulk carrier breached in fuel tank area, oil spill, Sakhalin CORRECTION

COSCO bulk carrier breached in fuel tank area, oil spill, Sakhalin CORRECTION
Erofey Schkvarkin May 22, 2021

May 22 CORRECTION: Maritime Bulletin received a statement from ISEACO company with regards to spill accident in Boshnyakovo, denying XIANGSHENG HARMONY involvement in accident. All Russian national and local media named XIANGSHENG HARMONY as the ship in question, all referring to Sakhalin Emergency Service as the initial source, and all identifying the ship as “Chinese”. Looks like it was COSCO’s bulk carrier KANG SHUN, anchored nearby. Closely watch video and notice big white letters on ship’s hull, also notice superstructure architecture. Speaking about media mistake, it’s mustn’t be surprising – it is indeed, surprising, when/if they (not only Russian, but all media worldwide) say anything correctly, without mistakes or disinformation.
Having said that, it must be said also, that whatever bulker was damaged, it wasn’t the mistake of the ship, and the ship just doesn’t bear any responsibility for this accident, followed by spill.
Bulk carrier KANG SHUN, IMO 9285079, dwt 55566, built 2004, flag China, manager COSCO.

May 21: Lighter struck anchored bulk carrier XIANGSHENG HARMONY at Boshnyakovo Anchorage, west coast of Central Sakhalin, Russia, in the afternoon May 21, understood while maneuvering to moor alongside bulk carrier’s portside. Lighter bow breached bulk carrier hull in fuel tank area, resulting in fuel spill. The ship was fenced off with booms, pollution removal operation under way. Understood bulk carrier is to load coal at Boshnyakovo anchorage, via lighters.
Bulk carrier XIANGSHENG HARMONY, IMO 9296755, dwt 52307, built 2004, flag Panama, manager ISEACO SHIPMANAGEMENT, Singapore (since Dec 2020 – EQUASIS).