Coast Guard detains container ship in Seattle after safety violations are found

SEATTLE — Coast Guard personnel detained the bulk carrier ship Lowlands Kamsar in Seattle, Monday, after a Port State Control exam detected several significant violations. The Lowlands Kamsar a 751-foot, Panamanian-flagged ship will remain in Sector Puget Sound's Captain of the Port zone until the violations are corrected. During the exam Coast Guard Port State Control officers discovered that the automatic fire extinguishing system that protects the vessel’s engine room had been disabled by the crew, additionally, the vessel’s owner, Misuga S.A., failed to ensure that appropriate corrective action was taken.  “The Port State Control program holds foreign flagged vessels to internationally agreed upon standards to ensure the safety of life at sea,” said Lt. Kimberly Glore, chief of Port State Control Branch, Sector Puget Sound. “Fire detection and extinguishing systems are vital systems that must be ready for immediate use in case of a fire onboard the ship. We are continuing to monitor the Lowlands Kamsar and are working with the crew and Panamanian representatives to correct these deficiencies." The crew of the ship was conducting cargo operations in Seattle at the time of the exam.