Eastern Queen Refloated Off India

New Mangalore, India: The Panamanian-flagged bulker Eastern Queen was refloated off New Mangalore, India, on June 8 and moved to an anchorage. The 70,196 dwt bulker sailed from New Mangalore with a cargo of 64,200 tons of iron ore for Japan, but drifted off the channel due to a sudden squall and ran aground north of the channel about two kilometers from the shoreline. All the port's tugs were immediately deployed to refloat the vessel but operations had to be abandoned due to adverse weather. During the operations both engines on the tug Varahi failed and it started to drift. Fourteen members of its crew jumped into the water wearing lifejackets and swam ashore but one suffered shock and was later pronounced dead.