In a post beneath a photograph of this vessel, a Brazilian port captain comments thus: "IRON ORE PELLETS ' OR SINTER FEED, and this are NOT DANGEROUS" (sic).
This is simply not correct.Iron ore fines can be VERY dangerous in some circumstances.
Railway wagons and stockpiles may be open to the elements.
Loading may take place in unsuitable weather conditions.
Local surveyors may not be fully conversant with sampling requirements.
Testing the cargo may use an unsuitable method (there are 3 currently in use).
Sampling laboratories may favour the shipper.
To say that iron ore pellets (fines) are not dangerous is simply incorrect. They are listed in Group A of the mandatory International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code. The dangers of these cargoes have been repeatedly stated in publications of the Nautical Institute, most recently in the current (April 1917) edition of "Seaways", the NI journal. Furthermore, I refer to the charter party clause from the West of England P&I Club.
http://www.westpandi.com/Publications/News/Archive/IMSBC-Code---Group-A-Cargoes---Charter-Party-Clause/How can anyone be in doubt about the potential problems? To cloud the issue by referring to "normal iron ore" etc is unhelpful.
At the moment, we simply do not know why the STELLAR DAISY sank. But please do not let us minimise the dangers of the liquefaction of cargoes of iron ore fines.