Myanmar to operate liner to East Asian countries with salvaged Japanese vessel

Myanmar to operate liner to East Asian countries with salvaged Japanese vessel
www.chinaview.cn 2009-04-01 11:12:46

YANGON, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar has planned to operate cargo liner to three East Asian countries with a recently salvaged Japanese vessel, the local Voice journal reported Wednesday.

Salvaged by Myanmar engineers after it was stranded by a cyclone storm in last May, the MV Cosmic Leader liner, will ply between the three destinations of China, Japan and South Korea, the report said.

The vessel, formerly owned by the Japan-based Eastern Car Liner, was stranded on the Haigyigyun Island in southwestern Ayeyawaddy division during the storm.

After being salvaged by engineers of the Myanmar Five Star Lines, it was brought to Yangon earlier this month for repair and maintenance.

The vessel, having a dead weight of 9,800 tons, was built in 1991 and was operating between Southeast Asian countries, Japan and India.

Meanwhile, Myanmar has so far salvaged 32 vessels out of 40 sunk during the severe storm and further efforts are being made to do so on the remaining eight sunk vessels.

Deadly cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar's five divisions and states --Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago, Mon and Kayin on May 2 and 3 last year, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangon inflicted the heaviest casualties and massive infrastructure damage.

The storm has killed 84,537 people and left 53,836 missing and 19,359 injured according to official death toll.