KARACHI: Attempt made by Karachi Port Trust (KPT) teams to salvage the vessel stuck at Karachi’s beach has failed. Cargo vessel (MV) Heng Tong 77 ran aground and stuck at Karachi beach near Seaview, last month. The 98 metres in length and 20 metres wide ship, with a capacity of 3,600 deadweight tonnage, was said to be waiting for a crew change outside the Karachi harbour while on its way to Turkey from China when a sea storm caused it to lose its anchors and start drifting towards the shore. As per, KPT officials, the first attempt was made today to rescue the stranded cargo ship at Seaview, which remained unsuccessful. “Another attempt will be made tomorrow afternoon when the waves in the sea would be high,” the officials said. The operation will be completed in two phases. In the first phase, the vessel will be towed away in the seawater up to 4 meters in-depth and in the second phase, the vessel will be towed away to the Karachi harbour. On July 30, the Pakistan Navy along with other maritime stakeholders had safely completed the defuelling process of a merchant ship that ran aground at Seaview.
