AsiaDry Cargo

Polaris rocked by another safety fault

Just ahead of the first anniversary since the high profile sinking of its VLOC Stellar Daisy, South Korea’s Polaris Shipping has been rocked by yet another safety fault.

On March 31 last year 22 crew lost their lives when the Marshall Islands-flagged, 1993-built converted ore carrier sank in the South Atlantic, the start of what would turn into a dire year for Polaris with many more of its ageing bulker fleet found to have deficiencies. Keen to put the bad news behind it, Polaris initiated a fleet rejuvenation programme last year.

Now however South Korea’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has ordered Polaris to rectify several unauthorised modifications on one of the company’s ore carriers.

The ministry found a total 22 unauthorised modifications on the company’s ore carrier Stella Eagle, currently docked in Rizhao Port in China, during a safety inspection. The shipowner will now have to correct these modifications before the ship can trade again.

The Marshall Islands is continuing its investigation into the Stellar Daisy sinking. “Once the investigation has concluded and the final report is completed it will be available from the IMO’s GISIS database,” a spokesperson for the registry told Splash earlier this month.

Jason Jiang

Jason is one of the most prolific writers on the diverse China shipping & logistics industry and his access to the major maritime players with business in China has proved an invaluable source of exclusives. Having been working at Asia Shipping Media since inception, Jason is the chief correspondent of Splash and associate editor of Maritime CEO magazine. Previously he had written for a host of titles including Supply Chain Asia, Cargo Facts and Air Cargo Week.
Back to top button