Norwegian Carrier Goes Adrift

Reports indicate that a Norwegian-registered car carrier anchored off Minami-Izucho, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Saturday after it lost power and went adrift in a gale, according to the Shimoda Coast Guard Office. None of its 30 crew members were injured. According to the coast guard, the 39,710-ton car carrier Anna experienced engine trouble off Irozaki cape in the town. By Saturday morning, it had drifted about 2.4 kilometers off Mitsuishimisaki cape in the town, where it anchored. A tugboat from the coast guard reached the ship at about 8 a.m. Saturday. After waiting for three other tugboats to arrive, it was to be towed toward Omaezaki in the prefecture early Sunday morning. The vessel was carrying 517 kiloliters of fuel oil, but was not leaking, according to the coast guard. According to Nippon Yusen K.K., the shipping company that operates the vessel, the Anna has the capacity to carry about 4,000 vehicles. It left Hiroshima Port on Tuesday and was scheduled to transport cars to the United States after loading them at the ports of Mizushima, Okayama Prefecture, Omaezaki, Kawasaki and Nagoya.