Classification
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Incident Type | Grounded |
| Severity | High |
| Region | Indian Ocean |
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Wakashio |
| Vessel Type | Bulk Carrier |
| Flag State | Panama [PA] |
| IMO Number | 9337119 |
| Gross Tonnage | 101932 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2020-07-25 |
| Location | Southeastern Mauritius |
| Coordinates | -20.4442, 57.7431 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | |
| Investigation Body | Japan Transport Safety Board |
| Direct Damage | Hull buckled and later split in two. |
Key facts
- Wakashio grounded at about 19:25 local time on 25 July 2020 with 20 people aboard.
- The Japan Transport Safety Board reported no crew casualties.
- About 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil escaped after the grounding, and oil reached approximately eight kilometres of coastline by 6 August.
- The remaining crew left the vessel by helicopter on 5 August, before the major oil release reported the following day.
- The hull completely separated into two sections on 15 August.
Narrative
Wakashio was sailing from Singapore toward Tubarão, Brazil, when its voyage plan was altered to bring the vessel closer to Mauritius. According to the Japan Transport Safety Board's machine-translated progress report, the master instructed a change two days before the casualty that reduced the intended passing distance from about 22 nautical miles to about 5 nautical miles. A further course alteration toward the island was ordered on 25 July. The vessel did not carry a detailed electronic navigational chart for the coastal waters around Mauritius, and the reproduced ECDIS display did not show the detailed coastline, shallows, coral reefs and obstacles near the casualty site.
The report records that the master, chief engineer and officer of the watch were discussing smartphone connectivity on the bridge during the approach. At about 19:25 local time, they felt an impact and the vessel's speed fell. The master stopped the engine, ordered an unsuccessful full-astern movement and mustered the crew after the speed reached zero. The Mauritius National Coast Guard was notified at about 20:10. An alarm later indicated damage around a fuel-oil overflow tank, and seawater entered the engine room through damaged pipework and valves.
Salvage contractors were engaged on 26 July, but worsening hull movement, flooding and structural damage complicated the response. Ten crew members were flown ashore on 2 August. Progressive buckling, engine-room flooding and loss of electrical power followed, and the remaining ten crew were evacuated by helicopter on 5 August. The report states that about 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil subsequently escaped through hull damage. Oil moved northwest and reached about eight kilometres of coastline by 6 August. Three tankers arranged by the Mauritian government removed about 3,193 tonnes of fuel oil between 7 and 12 August.
The hull continued to deteriorate and completely separated into bow and stern sections on 15 August. After harmful substances were removed, the bow was towed away and disposed of at sea on 24 August. Removal of the stern was completed in January 2022. The progress report's provisional analysis considered it probable that the vessel approached Mauritius to obtain smartphone reception while lacking detailed coastal charts. Because the available text is machine translated and the JTSB stated that its investigation was continuing, that causal wording is reported cautiously rather than presented as a final finding.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2020-07-25 19:25 local | Wakashio struck shallow water off southeastern Mauritius. |
| 2020-07-25 20:10 local | The master notified the Mauritius National Coast Guard. |
| 2020-08-02 16:20 local | Ten crew members not involved in salvage work were transferred ashore by helicopter. |
| 2020-08-05 16:15 local | The remaining ten crew members were transferred ashore after the vessel lost electrical power. |
| 2020-08-06 10:30 local | Fuel oil began escaping from a starboard fuel tank; oil reached the coast that day. |
| 2020-08-15 14:00 local | The hull completely separated into bow and stern sections. |
| 2020-08-24 15:00 local | The bow section was disposed of at sea after removal of harmful substances. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Approach for smartphone reception | Reported | The machine-translated JTSB progress report considered it probable that the voyage plan was changed and the vessel approached Mauritius to receive smartphone signals. |
| Inadequate chart coverage | Reported | The progress report stated that the vessel lacked a detailed chart of the Mauritian coast and that its ECDIS display did not show nearby shallows, reefs and obstacles. |
| Safety-management non-compliance | Reported | The progress report identified non-compliance with required bridge staffing, position-fixing intervals and minimum passing distance, while noting these as safety-related matters rather than establishing a direct causal relationship. |
| Limited shore monitoring | Reported | The progress report stated that the companies involved lacked a system to promptly identify, warn about and share information on deviations toward the coast. |
Investigation
The Japan Transport Safety Board published a machine-translated progress report on its investigation of the casualty. It records the accident sequence, pollution response and provisional analysis, and states that the report could change as new information became available. The JTSB considered it probable that Wakashio grounded after continuing toward Mauritius for smartphone reception without detailed coastal charts. It also issued safety opinions addressing route changes for private reasons, chart provision, bridge staffing, position monitoring, company oversight and onboard communications. The document is not a final investigation report, so its translated causal conclusions remain provisional.