Hoegh-Asia Vessel Reviews and Specifications

On the evening of May 4, 2012, the Hoegh Asia, a roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessel loaded with 6000 cars, encountered trouble as it ran aground on a shoal close to the entrance of Livorno harbor at approximately 10:00 p.m. The ship had departed from Valletta on May 1 and was on its way to the Italian port when it struck a sandy bank in waters only six meters deep, compromising its eight-meter draft. Fortunately, all 20 crew members onboard were unharmed. In a determined effort to refloat the distressed vessel, a coordinated operation involving seven tugboats was initiated after lightering some of the bunker fuel. The Hoegh Asia successfully moored at the Darsena Toscana Sponda Est in Livorno on May 5 at 6:30 p.m., ensuring the safety of the cargo. For additional details and photos of the incident, visit the Italian reports found at http://www.ilsecoloxix.it/p/italia/2012/05/05/APQbKuRC-sbarco_arenata_operazioni.shtml#axzz1u0TokXeM and http://news.liberoreporter.eu/?p=25971.