MOL Express Runs Aground

zoom MOL-operated containership MOL Express ran aground in shallow water in Tateyama Harbor, Chiba Prefecture at about 19:00 JST on January 11, 2015, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines informed. The 4,600-TEU containership, built in 2003, was chartered from an overseas shipowner, an affiliate of Seaspan Corporation from Canada. The ship was to undergo repairs on its main engines and was maneuvering to an anchoring area within the harbor when the grounding occured, the company said in its press release. As of 12:00 on January 12, the hull is in a stable condition, no crewmembers have been injured, and no oil leakage has been confirmed, according to MOL. The Hong Kong-flagged containerships crew is manned by 25 seafarers. MOL said that it was working with the shipowner to refloat the vessel and restore it to its original condition. Image: Shipspotting/Manami Ebihara