Ferry to Cat Ba Island nearly sank

Ferry HP 2735 had an accident causing water to flood into the cabin.

At around 11:30 a.m. on May 26, the ferry docked at Dong Bai wharf in Cat Hai district when the staff discovered that seawater was flooding into the hold. The ferry quickly sank about 80 cm into the water. At this time, the vehicles and passengers had not yet disembarked the ferry.

Authorities have sent tugboats to anchor the ferry to prevent it from sinking completely and to carry out rescue operations. Dong Bai Wharf has temporarily suspended operations until the incident is resolved.

According to the initial assessment of the authorities, the ferry may have hit a hard object, causing the floor to break, causing water to flood in. This is the first time a ferry carrying passengers to Cat Ba Island has had an incident of water overflowing into the hold. This vehicle is among the 5 large ferries operating at Dong Bai wharf, capable of carrying 12 cars and 200 passengers.

Previously, on March 1, Dong Bai wharf was put into use to replace Got wharf, transporting passengers and vehicles from the mainland to Cat Ba island.

Hai Phong Waterway Traffic Assurance Joint Stock Company has transferred the old ferries operating at Got wharf to the new wharf. These ferries have been in use for more than 10 years, and their outdated design makes it difficult for vehicles to get on and off the ferry, causing some congestion.

Hai Phong City People's Committee has directed the construction of at least 5 new modern, high-speed ferries with a capacity of about 15 cars and hundreds of passengers to supplement Dong Bai ferry in the near future.

TN (according to VnE)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/pha-ra-dao-cat-ba-suyt-chim-382764.html