Yet another ship has run aground on Hong Kong land, making it the fourth case of its kind in the last six months. The ship was heading towards a pier in Tuen Mun yesterday but was reportedly blown off course and ran aground at Butterfly Beach instead.
Even though some unflappable beachgoers continued to bask in the sunshine, the Leisure and Cultural Department has cordoned off the section around the ship and warned revellers to stay out of the water, as the ship had damaged the shark net. While the ship had been removed by the end of the day, the Leisure and Cultural Department is still conducting tests to examine the damage done to the shark net.
The vessel reportedly broke down and was blown onto the shore due to strong winds. However, the Marine Department stated there was no damage done to the vessel and no reports of oil leakage.
This is the second incident of a ship running aground this month, and the fourth occurrence this year. One of the two ships that ran aground on Cheung Chau was carrying construction waste and has still yet to be removed, according to the South China Morning Post.
Although there have been no reported injuries from all four cases, investigations on the extent of damage to shark nets are consistently carried out and taken extremely seriously, especially during summer months when more and more people take to our city’s numerous beaches.
Seatrade Global reported that the ship was a 50-metre Chinese coastal feeder.
