THE Ministry of Transport, through the Transport and Harbours Department, Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD), says it is currently investigating the circumstances which resulted in the MV SABANTO running aground on to Wakenaam Island during the wee hours of yesterday.

The T&HD confirmed reports that the Chinese-donated vessel, the MV SABANTO, ran hard aground at Wakenaam Island in the Essequibo River early on Monday morning while plying its Supenaam/Parika route. The incident is reported to have occurred at approximately 00.35 hrs.

There have been no reported injuries, according to the Transport Department, which reported that all passengers and crew members were safe and were able to disembark the vessel and depart the scene with the use of water taxis which responded to the vessel’s distress call.

Nobody was allowed to disembark the vessel until first light (when the place became clear) yesterday morning.

The Transport and Harbours Department, in its statement to the media yesterday, said efforts are being made to have three trucks and seven cars taken off the vessel with the use of dumb barges.

In the meantime, mariners, marine surveyors and engineers will assess the vessel to determine the extent of its damage. The vessel is to remain at its present location where it ran aground, until this coming weekend, when the tide would rise to the level that would facilitate its re-floating.

Public Works Minister Robeson Benn yesterday visited the area where the vessel encountered its difficulty, and was briefed by workers on the ground as to the moves being adopted to ensure that everything is being done to return the vessel to operational status.

Meanwhile, the vessel will be guarded to prevent any form of damage or vandalism by anyone.
Traffic movement would be maintained at normal levels by a doubling up of runs of the MV KANAWAN and the MV MALALI, to ensure that commuters are not inconvenienced.

The T&HD has, in its statements, apologised to commuters for the inconvenience caused.