The container ship “Sealloyd Arc” sank off the coast of Thailand at the weekend. Authorities report an oil slick.
The “Sealloyd Arc” was en route from Port Klang to Chattogram when it ran aground off the Thai island of Phuket. The captain of the feeder ship made a distress call on Saturday afternoon and reported a water ingress, whereupon Thai authorities and a fishing boat were able to rescue the 16 crew members from Bangladesh from the sinking ship.
According to regional reports, the “Sealloyd Arc” finally sank on Sunday, about 5 km off the coast of Phuket. The ship was loaded with 229 containers, 14 of which were said to contain hazardous materials. There was also a fuel leak. Since then, an oil slick has been spreading in the sea, which is now said to be over 7 km long and 1.5 km wide. However, it has not yet reached the coast of Thailand, according to local media reports. According to a statement from the Royal Thai Navy, the investigation into the accident is still ongoing. The authorities are working to salvage the containers and contain the oil slick.
The “Sealloyd Arc” (6,500 dwt) was built in 2005 and is 115 meters long. It sailed for Chinese shipping companies for a long time until it was taken over by the Singapore-based shipping company Sea Lloyd Shipping Lines in September 2025. It is registered under the flag of Panama.
