"Salvage of 'Huayuan 668' Shipwreck Successful; Removing a Twelve-Year Navigation Obstacle 'Reef'"

The river breeze swept across, and the water surface of the Anqing Taizi River channel glistened with ripples as several workboats sliced through the waves. Accompanied by the muffled roar of the grab dredger, the 20-ton plum blossom grab repeatedly plunged into the murky depths of the river, slowly lifting the wreckage of the sunken ship that had slumbered at the riverbed for twelve years to the surface.

On November 6, the much-anticipated "Huayuan 668" shipwreck salvage project, organized by the Yangtze River Nanjing Navigation Emergency Rescue Base under the Yangtze River Nanjing Navigation Bureau, entered a critical phase. This is not only a "submerged obstacle clearing battle" to eliminate navigation hazards along the Yangtze River Golden Waterway but also a hardcore action to restore the Yangtze River's ecosystem and practice green development.

A Hardcore "Obstacle Clearing Battle"

Rewind to June 9, 2014: the "Huayuan 668" vessel, carrying 2,400 tons of yellow sand, capsized and sank outside the waterway near the 268th white float of the Anqing Taizi River channel, 130 meters from the channel, after colliding with the "Guangtong 1166" vessel during its downstream journey.

"The Taizi River channel is an important navigational area in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, with an average of about 800 ships passing through each day, making it highly congested," explained the head of the Yangtze River Nanjing Water Emergency Rescue Base. The shipwreck is located more than 100 meters outside the channel, with the hull positioned at roughly a 90-degree angle to the river flow. The bow, port side, and a large portion of the stern were severely buried, and even cracks had appeared in the starboard midsection. The channel near the shipwreck is curvy, and the proximity of the wreck to the main channel restricted adjustments to the route, posing risks to the navigation safety of ships traveling along slow currents during the low water period.

Twelve years on, the navigational hazards posed by the sunken ship persisted, while salvage operations were repeatedly assessed, discussed, and gradually deemed feasible. During those years, the Yangtze River Nanjing Water Emergency Rescue Base organized three rounds of surveys and inspections: a total multibeam survey in October 2023, a diver's underwater inspection in October 2025, and a side-scan sonar survey in March 2026. While they repeatedly clarified the condition of the shipwreck, the inspections also revealed increasing sediment accumulation. By the time the salvage project officially began in 2026, the sunken ship was almost completely buried, with worsening sedimentation posing a severe threat to the safety of passing vessels. Additionally, residual fuel and heavy metal pollutants inside the sunken ship remained at constant risk of leakage. Removing this "hidden reef" from the riverbed had become urgent and unavoidable.

Fragmentation Salvage: "Butcher's Precision"

Faced with a sunken ship that was almost entirely buried and partially broken, traditional techniques for lifting the entire wreck were no longer feasible. Fragmentation salvage became the only option. On August 30, after expert evaluation, the fragmentation salvage plan was finalized. With the acquisition of construction permits on October 22, the salvage operations officially commenced.

During the salvage process, the team performed a series of precise "butcher's precision" operations daily. They first used a multibeam echo sounder to precisely survey and probe the water depth, seabed composition, and the position of the wreck, while stationing warning vessels to maintain order during the construction process.

Before starting operations, the team had already deployed oil booms and oil absorbent pads in advance to prevent possible oil leaks from the wreck. Then, a DOP pump was used to remove the sediment around the sunken ship, creating a safe working zone for the subsequent fragmentation operations.

The real "hard battle" lies in the fragmentation salvage stage. The breaker and grab on the grab dredger alternately went into action; the breaker used free-fall impacts repeatedly to dismantle the shipwreck into fragments, while the grab moved the wreckage onto barges. According to the site manager, the construction strictly followed a scientific process of "survey, probing, pollution prevention and sediment clearance, decomposing and removal." From using breakers to dismantle the hull to the grabber transferring fragments onto barges, to final cleaning surveys and transport for disposal, the salvage operations were carried out efficiently and safely. Currently, 60% of the operation has been completed. As of November 5, approximately 100 tons of shipwreck debris had been salvaged, and about 8,000 cubic meters of sediment around the wreck cleared.

Countdown to 40 Days of Critical Work

The salvage of the sunken ship is not just about navigation safety but also about restoring the Yangtze River's ecosystem. As the fragmentation salvage progresses, subsequent stages such as transport, surveying, and acceptance testing have already been scheduled, pushing the entire project into its final countdown.

This salvage operation is not only a race against time but also a coordinated effort uniting multiple parties. Faced with a series of complex challenges from the planning phase at the beginning of the year to the official commencement of construction at the end of October, institutions like the Yangtze River Navigation Bureau, the Yangtze River Nanjing Water Emergency Rescue Base, the Wuhan Yangtze River Navigation Rescue and Salvage Bureau, the Yangtze River Wuhu Navigation Office, and the Anqing Maritime Bureau worked together seamlessly to overcome obstacles.

Once this "hidden reef" at the river bottom is completely removed, navigation in the waterway will be smoother and safer. The removal of the "Huayuan 668" is yet another vivid reflection of the Yangtze River's environmental protection efforts.

On November 6, the Emergency Rescue Division of the Yangtze River Navigation Bureau, in collaboration with the Party branches of the Niutou Mountain Maritime Office, the Nanjing Rescue Base, the Yangtze Chizhou Navigation Office, and the Diving and Salvage Company of the Rescue and Salvage Bureau, jointly organized a "Overcoming Challenges and Clearing Obstacles, Working Together to Ensure Safe Navigation" Party branch co-learning and co-building activity.

At the event, after revisiting the oath of joining the Party, Party representatives engaged in in-depth discussions centered on the theme of "Overcoming Challenges and Clearing Obstacles, Working Together to Ensure Safe Navigation." Related officials stated that they plan to draw on the latest theories of the Party and the spirit of the Long March to gain the strength to overcome challenges; they aim to use the "Party Member Task Forces for Overcoming Challenges" as a platform to deeply integrate Party building with operational work. There is a focused effort to strengthen the Party's fighting fortress and to highlight the identity of Party members, fostering a unified approach that balances construction and navigation. The aim is to minimize the impacts on the navigation of the Yangtze River's waterways. This joint Party branch activity brought the classroom of political learning to the forefront of tackling challenges, transforming the theme Party day into a hands-on, lively event on the turbulent river and bustling construction site, vividly demonstrating the deep integration of "Party building + operations" and infusing strong revolutionary momentum into this battle against waves and sediment.