African ghost-ship washes up on Cork coast during Storm Dennis

The fate of the abandoned Tanzanian ship is unclear since it was discovered near the Irish coast.

Locals at Ballycotton spotted an unmanned ship washed up close to the shore in Cork. The Irish Coast guard has plans of examining the vessel. The ship had reportedly been floating unmanned since its crew was evacuated in 2018. Without knowing the identity of the ship's owner, the Minister for the Marine will be responsible for the vessel. It is suspected that the ship has been hijacked multiple times, making it hard to trace its owner.

The 44-year-old vessel's last manned voyage was supposed to have been from Greece to Haiti. According to the United States Coast Guard, the vessel was found 1,380 miles southeast of Bermuda drifting without power in October 2018. To assist the 10-man crew, the Coast Guard had air-dropped supplies. A week after giving the crew supplies, the Coast Guard evacuated the ship ahead of Hurricane Leslie.

Since October 2018, The Alta has been on an unguided journey on its own. It managed to make its way past the African, Spanish and English coast to finally reach the Irish coast, aided by Storm Dennis.

In September 2019, the Royal Navy's HMS Protector had also spotted the abandoned ship. The Daily Mail reported that the HMS Protector tried to contact The Alta to offer assistance, but got no response as it had already been emptied.

The Coast Guard had tried to trace the owners of the ship so that they could tow the ship back to land. It is suspected that the vessel has been hijacked multiple times in the past, making it hard to find the real owner of the ship.

Waterford Coast Guard spokesman stated that the ship is not polluting the environment. However, it can pose a threat to other vessels if it drifts away from the shore again. As per Ireland's Merchant Shipping (Salvage and Wreck) Act, 1993 the ship is now the responsibility of Michael Creed, The Minister for the Marine.

After the wreck was reported, engineers were not able to check it out due to the storm warning. Once the storm passes, the Irish Coast Guard and engineers will examine The Alta before deciding its fate.