(Seychelles News Agency) - The Seychelles Port Authority (SPA) conducted a successful operation to remove a cargo vessel, MV Spil Ningsih, that was grounded near Ste Anne Island on Saturday.

President Wavel Ramkalawan has issued a message of appreciation and encouragement to everyone who was involved in the operation.

In a press statement on Monday, the Authority said when the incident happened, the harbour master, the chief executive and the deputy chief executive of SPA were immediately informed.

According to the press statement, "The Harbour Master activated the emergency response team of approximately 30 members of the operations team and all available marine assets were mobilised to assist in the operation."

The Seychelles Maritime Safety Authority (SMSA), Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG), and National Information Sharing and Coordination Centre (NISCC) were also alerted. By the time these authorities were notified, SPA pilots, tugs, and mooring personnel were already on-site, initiating efforts to free the vessel.

The Authority said given that the grounding occurred within the Ste Anne Marine Park, a protected area, all resources needed to be mobilised swiftly.

"Due to the vessel's size and location, time was of the essence to prevent the ship from turning parallel to the land, which could have increased the risk of pollution and complicated recovery efforts. SPA deployed all available marine assets and resources to manage the situation," added the statement.

A preliminary risk assessment of the vessel and its surroundings showed no visible signs of pollution or leakage. The vessel remained stable, which helped mitigate the risk of an oil spill during recovery operations.

After several attempts, the vessel was successfully refloated at 1.10 am on Sunday during the early stages of the rising tide.

It was then towed to a safe anchorage for further inspections before being cleared to dock at Mahe Quay.

The SPA personnel continued to monitor the vessel's draft for an hour after the operation to ensure there was no water ingress and MV Spil Ningsih was safely docked at Mahe Quay at 5.47 pm.