Stranded STO vessel refloated

‘Thoori’, a vessel owned by State Trading Organisation (STO) that ran aground on a reef near Thaa Kan’doodhoo, has been refloated.

STO said that the vessel was refloated at around 12:10 last night, and that it did not sustain any serious damage.

“We had to work for three days before it could be set afloat again, but that was because we had problems with the tug boat we used as well. Neither the vessel nor the reef sustained any damage,” STO Director Ibrahim Shareef said.

He said however that the decision regarding damage to the reef and compensation will be made by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He said that Transport Authority and EPA were informed immediately when the vessel ran aground, and that efforts to refloat it were undertaken in cooperation with them.

The 100-foot long vessel Thoori is used by STO to transport aggregate to Thaa Atoll. The reason for the accident is yet unclear.