Landing craft freed from Vaadhoo reef; council notes reef degradation

The landing craft that ran aground on the reef of GDh. Vaadhoo was successfully removed on Thursday evening.

A resident told Sun that the vessel was freed at 23:08.

The craft had run aground early Wednesday evening, and residents believe the grounding occurred due to improper navigation.

Vaadhoo Council President Hassan said that although the island does not currently have a functioning reef light, vessels, including STO oil barges, routinely navigate the same channel without incident.

“From the photos, it’s clear that any licensed captain should have been able to assess the approach even without a reef light. You look for alternative markers, other lights, and you navigate cautiously,” he said.

Hassan added that large sections of Vaadhoo’s reef are already degraded and not regenerating, and said the council will investigate the grounding and share its findings with the relevant authorities.