A bulk carrier ship carrying a consignment of logs from West Africa was sinking off the coast of East London on Tuesday afternoon, said port authorities.
The National Port Authority’s East London spokesperson, Terry Taylor, said they had received a call on Tuesday that the 180m Kiperousa was taking on water in her engine room.
The 25 crew members were in no danger at this stage. The Kiperousa was anchored two nautical miles (about 3,5km) offshore in the Bira area close to Hamburg.
Taylor said it was not clear what had happened but a vessel had been sent to assess the damage and make recommendations. He said the port of East London will also send a tug to the vessel.
Taylor said that a helicopter was on standby should the situation change. – Sapa