KARACHI: The grounded container ship MSC Emily II, which found itself drifting off while in the outer anchorage and running aground near Manora, was successfully refloated in the small hours of Friday.

Under the supervision of their deputy conservator and harbour master during high tide, the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) tugboats Lyari and Mithadar towed the stuck vessel to berth numbers 25/26 at West Wharf. Throughout the operation, KPT chairman Nadir Mumtaz Warraich remained on the deck of the tugboat Lyari.

Earlier, the vessel that is registered in Liberia was coming to Karachi from the Port of Mundra in Gujarat, India when it found itself grounded while entering the Karachi Harbour around noon on Thursday.

It was explained that the 10.1m tall and 184m long ship, which was grounded while entering the channel for a berth, ran into trouble after finding its steering jammed. Being unable to turn then, it drifted away.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2022