China : A Chinese maritime safety department has advised ships to stay clear from a specific area off the busy port of Lianyungang where an unexploded “ordinance” is floating in the waters, according to officials and freight market sources Friday.
Register Now The area designated as unsafe is situated north-east of Lianyungang where the water depth is around 23-25 metres, a market source following the development of the situation said.
“It’s not a bomb. It’s just an obstacle,” an official with Lianyungang Maritime Safety Administration told S&P Global Platts late Thursday.
According to a local media report, the maritime body had asked ships to avoid navigation around the area on Thursday.
Shipping sources said this incident is not affecting the movement of vessels into the Lianyungang port.
“The notice was issued on July 18 and is [still in force],” a shipping agency source based in Lianyungang said.
The port of Lianyungang is one of the largest in China and it receives a sizable volume of seaborne commodities like crude oil, iron ore, alumina and grains. It is a busy container port as well.