Four crewmembers are dead and one missing, following the capsizing of specialised heavylift vessel Mighty Servant 2 seven miles off the Indonesian island of Singkep. The 1983-built ship, owned by Belgium-based offshore heavylifting group Dockwise, had a crew of 20 and was carrying an 8,790 tonne offshore production module at the time of the accident, which reportedly occurred in calm seas.

The ship is currently on its side in 35m of water, with 5m of its hull still above the surface. Divers searching the vessel discovered the bodies of two crewmen inside the vessel, and the search for the remaining man has entered its final stages inside the wreck. The vessel was en route from Okpo, South Korea, to the Chevron facility at North Nemba, Angola, when the incident happened.

The capsizing occurred on the night of November 1/2 in calm weather and clear skies after the ship suffered sudden, severe flooding. The vessel, which may have struck rocks, had severe damage below the waterline on the ship's port side, discovered by divers searching for the missing crew. This is the first major incident to involve a semi-submersible heavylift vehicle, which routinely carry huge modules up to 25,000 tonnes for the offshore industry.

Article from: Hong Kong Shipping News International