Two crew members aboard a Euronav VLCC have died after the ship hit rough seas during a voyage from Brazil to the US.
Northern Marine Management, the ship's technical manager, said in a statement on Tuesday that the chief officer and bosun on the 298,991-dwt Arafura (built 2017) encountered "large swells and waves" near Cape Horn on 11 September.
The crew members were both Indian nationals.
"While a full investigation will be undertaken into the loss of our two much-valued colleagues, early indications are that after they were attending to an alarm in the forward part of the vessel, they were struck by a large wave," Northern Marine Management said in a statement.
"Every sympathy and heartfelt condolences go out to the families from both Northern Marine Management and the vessel's owner, Euronav.
"The safety and well-being of all of our colleagues at sea is our number one priority for both owners and managers and a full and thorough investigation into this incident will be carried out to establish the root cause, and any possible lessons to be learned."
The Arafura was fully-laden and en route to Long Beach when the incident occurred.
Northern Marine Management said it has since been rerouted to Valparaiso, Chile, so the deceased crew members can be disembarked and repatriated. The company said it has been in discussions with the Chilean maritime authorities to change some crew members.
The ship is due to arrive in Valparaiso on 18 September.
According to AIS data, the ship is off the coast of Chile and approximately 1,500 km (932 miles) south-west of Valparaiso.
The Arafura is flagged in Belgium and Euronav is listed as its commercial manager.
