Sea-going transport ship runs aground near Shikotan

VLADIVOSTOK, December 16 (Itar-Tass) - The sea-going transport ship
Refrigerator-604 has run aground near the Kuril island of Shikotan.
The ship has been holed, with water flooding the engine room. None of
fourteen crewmembers has been hurt. On Thursday morning they all were
taken away from the stricken ship by the seiner Danilovo and brought
ashore, the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk sea rescue coordinating subcenter has
announced.
The incident involving the Refrigerator-604 occurred on the night from
December 15 to 16 when the fish-laden ship was entering the Malokurilskaya
Bay. The ship is staying solidly aground with a two-degree list to port,
and sustained a crack in the hull in proximity to ballast tanks.
The Refrigeratora-604 is registered at the port of Vladivostok. The
incident was the result of a navigational error. The ship is 84 metres
long and has a deadweight of 1,597 tonnes. The sea-going rescue tugboat
Rubin has left the port of Korsakov, heading for the stricken transport
ship. The Rubin is expected to arrive at Shikotan late on Friday night,
December 17.
-0-pop