Hanjin Aqua runs aground in Sundra Strait

The containership ran aground off Sangiang Island in Indonesia’s Sundra Strait on Friday while en route from Adelaide, Australia to Jakarta, Indonesia.    The Hanjin Aqua, a 4,500-TEU containership, ran aground off Sangiang Island in Indonesia’s Sundra Strait on Friday, according to the online maritime news outlet Splash 24/7.
   The ship, which is in no danger of sinking, currently has 2,303 boxes on board and was travelling from Adelaide, Australia to Jakarta, Indonesia.
   “There is no reported casualties or marine pollution and the cause of the accident is currently under investigation. The salvage operation is on way,” a Hanjin spokesperson said.
   The Hanjin Aqua, which is operated by Korean ocean carrier Hanjin Shipping, serves on the carrier’s AUS loop between Asia and Oceania.
   The AUS has a rotation of Jakarta, Port Kelang, Singapore, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Jakarta using five vessels with an average capacity of 4,437 TEUs, according to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting.
   Hanjin, Hapag-Lloyd, OOCL, UASC and CSCL each provide one vessel on the service, while “K” Line, CMA CGM and its subsidiary lines ANL and Delmas purchase slots on the loop.
   To what extent the grounding of the Hanjin Aqua will impact the operation of the AUS loop is still unknown. As of the publishing of this article, none of the participating carriers on the loop had updated their schedules to reflect the removal of the vessel from the service.