The Panamanian-flagged container ship Sealloyd Arc sank on 7 February 2026 in the Andaman Sea, around 3–4 nautical miles off the southern coast of Phuket, Thailand, while operating a regional service between Port Klang, Malaysia, and Chattogram, Bangladesh. According to The Nation Thailand, the vessel began taking on water and developed a heavy list, making it impossible to maintain control on board. The crew issued a distress signal in the afternoon and, after several hours under observation, the ship went down later that evening.
All 16 crew members, all Bangladeshi nationals, were rescued without injury. The evacuation involved local units and Thai naval assets, coordinated by the maritime authorities. The crew were subsequently transferred safely ashore. The incident has been classified by the authorities as a major accident due to its potential environmental impact and the risks posed to navigation in the area.
Built in 2005 and sailing under the Panamanian flag, the Sealloyd Arc operated as a small regional container ship. It had a deadweight of around 6,479 dwt, an overall length of between 113 and 115 metres and a beam of 16 metres. Its summer draught was approximately 6.5 metres. These specifications place it within the small-vessel segment typically deployed on intra-Asian routes, often carrying mixed cargoes and calling at secondary ports.
As for the cargo, available information indicates a variable number of containers on board depending on the source, with estimates ranging from around 200 to 297 units. Some reports refer to 229 containers, while others suggest a total close to 290. In the absence of an officially published cargo manifest, the exact figure remains unconfirmed. It has also been reported that 14 containers were classified as dangerous goods, although no further public details have been released regarding their hazard classes under international regulations.
Part of the cargo sank with the vessel, while several containers were left adrift in the hours following the incident, posing risks to both commercial and local navigation. Thai authorities have launched search and recovery operations, supported by barges and specialised vessels, to reduce the hazard along routes south of Phuket, an area characterised by both merchant and fishing traffic.
The sinking caused a fuel spill. Initial estimates indicate an oil slick measuring between 4.5 nautical miles and 7.2 kilometres in length and around one kilometre in width, figures that are broadly consistent in scale. At the time of the latest checks, no hydrocarbons had reached Phuket’s shoreline. The authorities have set up an operational command centre to coordinate containment and clean-up activities, deploying floating booms and absorbent materials. The Sealloyd Arc was owned by Singapore-based Sea/Sealloyd Shipping Lines and its technical management had been entrusted to Bangladesh’s Naf Marine Services.
