Cargo ship aground near English Caye

A cargo ship lies aground at the entrance to the Belize City Harbour and at newstime efforts to free it have proven unsuccessful. The Atlantis, a ship belonging to the Hybur Line out of Miami, ran up on the shallows off English Caye at around four Monday morning. The captain reported a steering malfunction as he was attempting to manoeuvre into the English Caye Channel and the ship drifted out of control. The ship’s local agents, Caribbean Shipping Agencies, have reportedly sent for a sister ship from Honduras to tow the Atlantis off the bank. That vessel was due to arrive this evening. According to the Belize Ports Authority, the ship went aground on a sandy part of the sea bottom. No damage was caused to the nearby reef nor is there any immediate danger to the environment as the hull remains intact. The biggest problem seems to lie with those consumers and business houses whose goods were due to be landed on Monday, but for the present remain stranded aboard the Atlantis.