Bulk Jupiter Search and Rescue Ongoing
No new crewmembers or debris from the sunken vessel Bulk Jupiter have been detected during the recent search operations, ship’s owner Gearbulk Holding Limited reported.
A fleet of vessels and planes, under direction of the Vietnamese Coast Guard are participating in the operations from where Bulk Jupiter issued distress signals. The Gearbulk vessel Sunbird Arrow is also assisting the SAR operation.
A representative from Gearbulk's Bergen office has travelled to Vung Tao, Vietnam, where the surviving Cook and the bodies of the two deceased arrived yesterday. The cook was initially shielded from the public and taken to a hospital for appropriate medical attention before he was able to meet with authorities. He will be repatriated to the Philippines as soon as practically possible, Gearbulk said.
Gearbulk expressed that there is has been no official confirmation of identity of the remains.
Bulk Jupiter reportedly departed Kuantan on December 30, 2014 at around 20:00 hours local time, with 19 crew members, all Filipinos, on board and about 46,400 mts of Bauxite in bulk, stowed in all five of her cargo holds. Repeated attempts to contact the vessel on all communication channels were unsuccessful.
The Japanese Coast Guard received a distress alert and immediatley initiated search and rescue operation. One lifeboat and a life raft, both empty, from Bulk Jupiter have been observed by M/V Zim Asia in the vicinity.
