Classification
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Incident type | Grounded |
| Severity | High |
| Setting | Protected Rasfari Marine Protected Area |
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | Navios Amaryllis |
| Vessel Type | Bulk Carrier |
| Flag State | Panama [PA] |
| IMO Number | 9423487 |
| Gross Tonnage | 32415 |
| LOA (m) | 190 |
| DWT (t) | 58735 |
| Crew Size | 19 reported |
| Owner/Operator | |
| Year Built | |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 2021-08-19 |
| Location | Rasfari Reef, west of K. Rasfari, Kaafu Atoll, Maldives |
| Coordinates | 4.394444, 73.351389 |
| Region | Indian Ocean |
| Fatalities | |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage | USD 10 million (reef-damage compensation) |
| Insured Loss | |
| Salvage/Cleanup Cost | |
Key facts
- The Panama-flagged bulk carrier grounded on 19 August 2021 on Rasfari Reef, west of K. Rasfari in the Kaafu Atoll.
- The Maldives National Defence Force attributed the stranding to engine failure in statements reported by Maldivian media and maritime reporting.
- Tsavliris Salvage reported transferring about 1,600 tonnes of bunker fuel and lubricants to topside tanks and refloating the vessel on 29 August without an oil spill.
- The EPA later recorded substantial reef damage, assessed the affected area, and established a restoration programme funded through compensation from the shipowner.
Narrative
Navios Amaryllis, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier, was sailing in ballast from Tuticorin, India, to Saldanha Bay, South Africa, when it grounded on Rasfari Reef west of K. Rasfari in the Kaafu Atoll on 19 August 2021. The vessel was about 190 metres long, had a gross tonnage of 32,415, and carried a reported 19-person Filipino crew. Contemporary reports stated that the crew was safe, but the available sources do not provide a verified casualty count.
The MNDF reported that the vessel had suffered an engine failure and had become stranded. Maldivian officials later alleged that the master did not notify the authorities or take anchoring action promptly; those allegations are retained as reported claims, not as confirmed findings. Tsavliris Salvage was contracted under a Lloyd's Open Form arrangement and mobilised Sri Lankan salvage tugs and other support assets. To reduce pollution risk in the environmentally sensitive reef area, the salvor reported transferring about 1,600 tonnes of bunker fuel and lubricants to topside tanks. The vessel was refloated on 29 August and anchored in the Male area. The salvor and Maldivian reporting stated that no oil spill or harmful-substance release was identified during the grounding and refloating operation.
The EPA subsequently assessed the reef damage. Its official restoration notice describes substantial damage to the reef structure, gives an overall area of 8,867 square metres, and records 2,882 square metres in the damage study. The EPA later established a multi-year restoration programme. Official environmental records and subsequent reporting associate the incident with a compensation outcome of USD 10 million, while the navigational circumstances remain without a publicly identified final casualty-investigation report.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 2021-08-19 | Navios Amaryllis grounded on Rasfari Reef after a reported engine failure while sailing from India to South Africa in ballast. |
| 2021-08-19 | MNDF Coast Guard and other Maldivian authorities responded; salvage assistance was arranged. |
| 2021-08-29 | The vessel was refloated and anchored in the Male area; contemporary reporting gave a refloating time of 14:08 local time. |
| 2021-09-13 | Sea Byte conducted a further reef assessment for the EPA. |
| 2021-09-15 | The EPA and Sea Byte conducted a coral reef damage assessment. |
| 2021-09-18 | Sea Byte conducted another assessment of the affected area. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| Engine failure | Reported | The MNDF statement, as quoted by contemporary reporting, said the vessel became stranded after an engine failure. No public final navigational investigation confirming the causal sequence was identified. |
| Delayed notification or anchoring response | Reported | Maldivian officials alleged that the master did not promptly report the engine problem or anchor before the vessel drifted onto the reef. The allegation was disputed in later reporting and is not treated as a confirmed finding. |
Investigation
The Maldives Environmental Protection Agency conducted a coral reef damage assessment with Sea Byte in September 2021 and later issued an official Rasfari restoration notice. That notice identifies the reef as part of the protected Rasfari Marine Protected Area, records substantial damage, and describes a five-year restoration plan funded through compensation from the shipowner. The EPA's 2021 annual report records an assessed environmental amount of MVR 893,952,569.83 and a USD 10 million settlement payment. No public final report from a Maldivian navigational casualty investigation body was identified, so engine failure and the alleged response delay remain reported factors rather than confirmed findings.
References
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