Wanlon Shipbuiding, a shipbuilder in Taizhou, Zhejiang, has sunk a 60000dwt bulker currently under construction and due delivery in less than two months, in order to prevent it from causing more losses and danger when Typhoon Haikui arrives.
The shipyard has cut four large holes at the bottom of the ship and let two thirds of it sink under water, and it will clean the ship and fix the holes when the typhoon is over.
“The vessel hasn’t been equipped with propulsion system yet, so it would be very dangerous when the largest typhoon comes, we have to sink it so it wouldn’t be blown away, we might lose more than RMB100 thousand by doing this but it is worth doing,” said He Shunhua, the President of Wanlon.
The China Meteorological Administration had issued a red alert for Typhoon Haikui this week, the highest so far this year, and said it was expected to bring heavy rains and strong winds for 48 hours. Early this morning, the storm reached Zhejiang Province.[08/08/12]
