Health authorities in
Brazil are investigating two mysterious deaths aboard the bulker Caravos
Harmony, which arrived at the Amazon River port of Macapá on Sunday 26
Feb.
Caravos Harmony left Port Elizabeth, South Africa on February 10 and got under way
for Brazil.
On February 21, as the
vessel was transiting several hundred nautical miles off the Brazilian port of
Recife, the vessel's second and third
engineers were found dead in their cabins.
Brazilian news outlet g1 identified the deceased as Ukrainian nationals Oleksiy
Stavytskyy and Denys Gutsu.
Caravos Harmony passed Recife, Natal and Fortaleza, and she maintained course and speed for the next five days, according to AIS data provided by Pole Star. She arrived at Macapá at the mouth of the Amazon on February 26.
When the ship arrived,
Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) and the state public
health agency (SVS) sent investigators
to the ship to determine the cause of the casualties on board. The other
crewmembers have tested negative for COVID-19, according to g1, and SVS
reported that the crew had no symptoms of other diseases. Further lab testing
is scheduled.