Intrigue,Suspense,Tragedy,Piracy..and an SD 14 !....

[Gulliver]

I’ve always been intrigued by this case of modern day piracy and have brought together various reports to tell the story.
The strange ,intriguing and true tale of the ERRIA INGE in the Far East during the 1990’s.

SD 14 MARIA K. 1970-1986,later the ERRIA INGE.jpg

　
The m.v. ERRIA INGE was one of those 200+ British designed and successful SD 14 general cargo vessels built in the North East in the late 1960’s through to the 80’s,although this particular one,like some others was built under licence at the former naval Hellenic Shipyards Co; at Skaramanga.Greece.
Completed in 1970 as the MARIA K,she had a typical career over the next 20 years of general cargo trading,being sold on and renamed accordingly by several owners.
Uneventful that is until 1990 when her final twilight years were marred by some sinister events.

In that year,she was sold to a Hong Kong company and renamed ERRIA INGE.
About 7^th April of that year she departed Bedi,India,and somewhat unusually did not report any subsequent movements until later that year when she arrived back in India.
However it is believed she had sailed for North Korea or Vietnam “under illegal control”.
Thereafter,and prior to 11^th January 1991,she was sighted at Bangkok,bearing the name PALU III, leading some to believe that she was the ‘stolen’ ERRIA INGE.
However,a year later on 24^th December 1992 she was sold(as the ERRIA INGE) to Chinese breakers at Huangpu.
During the demolition 10 corpses were found concealed in her hull.
On 12 th December, 1993,a year later,the Daily Telegraph alleged that a vessel named the HAI SIN (!) ,breaking up at Canton had 10 badly burned and decomposing bodies found in a disused refrigerated store room.
Enquiries by investigators researching back to missing seamen in the Far East , linked the corpses to crew members reported missing a year earlier from the Liberian tanker NAGASAKI SPIRIT,which had collided on 19^th September 1992 with the 22,600 grt ‘pirated’ Liberian container vessel OCEAN BLESSING in the Malacca Strait off Sumatra.

Pirated vessel? Yes,the Ocean Blessing had been captured by pirates at the west end of the Malacca Straits. The crew either locked themselves in or were locked in. The ship then proceeded at high speed eastbound, apparently out of control.
In the northern entrance to the Malacca Strait at a speed of 21 knots, she T-boned the eastbound 96,000 dwt partly laden crude oil tanker, Nagasaki Spirit, on the port side aft. The breached tanks on the Nagasaki Spirit caught fire and the fire spread to the Ocean Blessing which was engulfed in flames. The entire 25 man crew of the container vessel and probably some of the pirates were fried,as the charred of bodies of more than the supposed total crew on board were found.
The fire on the tanker was confined to the port side aft and did not spread further due to her inerted tanks.and it appears the 21 man crew successfully abandoned ship in the starboard lifeboat;(which was never found) , but were then murdered for their wallets and watches,possibly by the same pirate group who had commandeered the Ocean Blessing.
An (alleged) message from the tanker’s master read:
“ Have been fired upon and now have fire in Nos 5 and 6 and central tanks. Abandoning vessel immediately and into two 16 man life rafts and will activate EPIRB in lat 04.33N, long 98.43E at 1623 GMT Sep 19. No time to report further as abandoning vessel.“
Only two surviving crew from the tanker were picked up from the sea,the 3^rd Engineer and the 2^nd Cook. The Canadian Master’s body was picked up by from the sea by an American helicopter and landed on another of that company’s vessels the Mihara Spirit.

There has been much speculation about this incident though; one account states that it was the Nagasaki Spirit that was hijacked,the Master and crew being taken off,and then the tanker being guided into collision with the Ocean Blessing |!….

　
Yet another report, apparently from the Indian Navy states “The Ocean Blessing was badly damaged through explosions. Investigations revealed this ship was carrying dangerous cargo in diplomatic cargo containers consisting of illegal Chinese arms, ammunition and explosives meant for Mid East.


　
　
Back to our ship under demolition in China. A lifeboat from the tanker in this tragedy had been seen engulfed in flames and it was concluded that the bodies found in the ship being demolished in China had been picked up by the ‘stolen’ HAI SIN (which was really our ERRIA INGE.-She had been reported stolen a year earlier by Australian owner Eric Boas ).
Perhaps the HAI SIN did not report picking up the bodies to the authorities because she of course was the ‘stolen’ ERRIA INGE and did not want to blow her cover.Perhaps she was operating as a pirate mother ship for the pirates involved in the collision incident?
An intriguing story, enfolding rather like a suspense novel. Perhaps a lot of those who know the real facts of this case are keeping quiet…..
The ugly face of modern day piracy.
But more than anything don’t you feel sorry for the terrifying ordeal that the seamen victims endured in the collision and from the pirates, and the continuing despair of the families in this saga?
Gulliver