61-metre live fish carrier runs aground in southern Chile with 161,000 litres of diesel on board; all 14 crew evacuated
On 13 October, Norwegian aquaculture media outlet iLaks reported that the live fish carrier "Vali" ran aground near a farming facility in Chile's Aysén Region in the south, holing the hull and letting in water. All 14 people on board were safely evacuated, and the vessel was carrying 161,000 litres of diesel at the time.
According to Norwegian aquaculture news site iLaks on 13 October 2026, the live fish carrier "Vali" ran aground near a farming facility in Chile's Aysén Region in the south. The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning near Verdugo Island, about 18 nautical miles southeast of Melinka.
The vessel is operated by shipowner Naviera Detroit Chile and was on assignment at the Serrano work site when it ran aground. The hull was damaged and seawater entered. According to SalmonBusiness, all 14 crew members on board were evacuated and no one was injured. The Chilean Navy said the 14 crew were taken off by the vessel "Don Facundo" and landed at a nearby farming facility.
Chilean maritime authorities have activated a rescue alert and dispatched a patrol vessel from Melinka to assess the damage and assist the crew.
An initial inspection using an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) showed an approximately 3-metre-long gash in the hull near the bow thruster. According to the authorities, most of the water ingress occurred at that point.
The live fish carrier had 161,000 litres of diesel in its tanks at the time of the incident. Traces of oil have been found at the scene, but the authorities said no discharge into the sea has been detected so far.
According to Chilean ship registry information, the "Vali" is a 61.2-metre live fish carrier built in 2013 with a gross tonnage of 1,573.