Chinese cargo ship An Yang 2 with 20 people on board ran aground off Sakhalin. Rescue operations had to be delayed amid harsh weather conditions.
The cause of the incident involving the Chinese vessel owned by Yangpu Anyang Shipping Co. Ltd., which ran aground off the coast of Sakhalin, was a crew error. Twenty sailors remain on board, waiting for specialized equipment to arrive.
The ship ran aground on the evening of February 8 while coal and fuel were being loaded with the captain's approval. During the loading process, crew members accidentally released the anchor, causing the vessel to drift onto a shoal.
A total of one ton of coal and 750 liters of fuel were loaded. The fuel tanks remain intact, and there is no risk of an oil spill.
Specialists arrived at the scene, but due to weather conditions, they are unable to pump out the fuel.
The vessel is stuck in the ground deeply, so it will likely be cut apart to be removed from the shore.
Several ships have run aground near Sakhalin before. In 2004, an American merchant vessel named Christopher Columbus ran aground, resulting in a spill of 200 tons of fuel. The U.S. paid compensation, which was used for waterfront reconstruction. In 2021, a Chinese vessel also ran aground in the area.