KARACHI: The ministry of maritime affairs has detained Motor Vessel Heng Tong 77 after receiving report of inspections of the vessel carried out soon after it had drifted and gotten stuck at the Seaview beach after losing its anchors last month.

According to the detention notice shared by the ministry on Wednesday, the initial inspection and subsequent inspections carried out by their team of surveyors show MV Heng Tong as “unseaworthy”.

Its navigational equipment, other machinery and hull are defective, which may cause danger to human life on board. Therefore, under Section 394 of the Pakistan Merchant Ordinance 2001, the ship has been detained.

“Your ship shall be released after the satisfactory report of the surveyor of this department. Therefore, you are advised to stay at mooring/berth it [at] the port or a suitable shelter after the re-floating of the ship and arrange for repair/maintenance of the hull and other equipment,” read the detention notification issued by the ministry of maritime affairs’ mercantile marine department in Karachi.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2021