Por Onde Anda? MSC Silvana VIII

MSC Silvana VIII arrived at Jinhai Heavy Industry, in the Zhoushan ship-repair area, on June 22.

Nineteen days later, as Typhoon Bavi reached Zhejiang, the 8,401-TEU containership left the repair berth. It would never return to commercial service.

Built in 2006 by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in South Korea, the Cyprus-flagged MSC Silvana VIII, IMO 9309459, measures approximately 332 metres in length.

The vessel had spent almost three weeks undergoing repairs at Jinhai Heavy Industry. Images from the period show scaffolding around the foremast and bridge, although the full scope of the work has not been publicly disclosed.

More importantly, a source familiar with the casualty later reported that the repairs had not been completed and that MSC Silvana VIII did not have normal propulsion capability when the typhoon arrived.

AIS data shows the vessel moving away from the repair area during July 11 and 12, as severe weather affected Zhejiang.

MSC Silvana VIII reportedly grounded during the storm. With assistance from tugs and pilots, the vessel was refloated around high tide, but continuing adverse conditions were followed by a second grounding off Daishan.

From there, the situation deteriorated.

Flooding eventually reached several cargo holds and the engine room. Around 3,000 tonnes of bunker fuel were removed, while salvage teams attempted to stabilise and refloat the vessel.

Another refloating attempt in early August was unsuccessful. Images later showed a significant section of the stern and hull submerged, while the arrival of Typhoon Dolphin added further complications to the salvage operation.

Today, MSC Silvana VIII remains heavily grounded and partially submerged in the Zhoushan area.

There is still no official conclusion establishing the cause of the casualty. But one part of the sequence deserves particular attention.

The vessel had been undergoing repairs for almost three weeks. The full scope of those repairs remains unknown. She reportedly lacked normal propulsion capability when she left the berth, and the move took place as a major typhoon reached the region.

That leaves a question extending beyond the grounding itself: what exactly was being repaired during those 19 days, and what condition was MSC Silvana VIII in when the decision was made to move her?

For now, those answers have not been made public.