The MEZZANINE in her original guise as PRESIDENTE ALLENDE

Elderly cargo ship sinks in typhoon - 26 crew feared dead
Rescue efforts continue, only one survivor has been found...




An elderly geared bulk carrier sank in typhoon conditions off the northeast of Taiwan on Tuesday, 27th November.

26 of her crew are still unaccounted for, although one crew member was rescued. He said that the forepart of the ship took on water and she sank within five minutes.

Taiwan officials fear that the rest of the crew will not be found alive and that conditions had hampered rescue efforts.

The surviving crew member, reported in the press as 44 year old Henry Bakarbessy, said that all the crew leapt into the sea with lifebuoys but he lost sight them of them.

The 1975-built bulk carrier was taking a cargo of iron ore to China from Indonesia when she sank off Taiwan.

The vessel, mv MEZZANINE, owned by the single ship company Indosuccess of Indonesia was built by Mitsui Zosen as the PRESIDENTE ALLENDE.

She flew the Panama a flag and had a gross tonnage of 16077 grt. The vessel appears to have had a clean bill of health for many years as far as safety is concerned.