Ferry to Cat Ba Island nearly sank.

Ferry HP 2735 experienced an incident that caused water to flood into the cabin.

At approximately 11:30 AM on May 26th, as the ferry docked at the Đồng Bài wharf in Cát Hải district, staff discovered seawater flooding into the hull. The ferry quickly sank about 80 cm into the water. At this time, neither the vessel nor the passengers had disembarked.

Authorities dispatched tugboats to anchor the ferry, preventing it from sinking completely, and launched a rescue operation. Dong Bai ferry terminal temporarily ceased operations until the incident was resolved.

According to initial assessments by authorities, the ferry may have struck a hard object, causing a hole in the deck and water to flood in. This is the first time a passenger ferry to Cat Ba Island has experienced a water-flooding incident. This vessel is one of five large ferries operating at Dong Bai wharf, capable of carrying 12 cars and 200 passengers.

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

The Hai Phong Waterway Traffic Assurance Joint Stock Company has moved the old ferries operating at Got Wharf to a new wharf. These ferries have been in use for over 10 years, and their outdated design makes it difficult for vehicles to board and disembark, contributing to traffic congestion.

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

TN (according to VnE)

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