A ship, abandoned and adrift for years, was recently discovered washed up on a beach in Burma, with no crew or cargo onboard. Last Thursday, authorities in the Thongwa municipality reported on social media about the surprising find—a large, rusted vessel.
This so-called “ghost ship” was located near Rangoon, floating aimlessly and devoid of any crew members or freight. When authorities boarded the ship for inspection, they found only five fishermen on board. The fishermen explained to the BBC that they had boarded the vessel simply to explore it, hoping to take advantage of maritime laws.
The ship in question, identified as the Sam Ratulangi PB 1600, has since been the subject of an ongoing investigation into its origins. The mystery surrounding the ship is intriguing, as it appears to have been heading towards Bangladesh’s thriving ship-breaking industry. Every year, hundreds of commercial vessels are dismantled at the port of Chittagong, the country’s second-largest city. It is believed that the Sam Ratulangi PB 1600 was destined to be one of those ships slated for deconstruction.