Affected by an 180000 ton cargo ship, a Vietnamese port suffered severe damage
At around 5:45 pm on October 18th, the "Aquacharm" ship carrying over 170000 tons of iron ore collided with a section of the dock under construction as it approached the specialized port of Huafa Rongju in Vietnam. The collision occurred on the extension of Pier 10 and Pier 11, with a span of approximately 50 meters.
Preliminary inspection revealed a 5-meter-long crack on the bow of the ship, with damage on both sides of the hull. All 22 crew members on board were safe, the ship did not sink, and no oil leakage was found. The extent of damage to the dock remains to be assessed.
After the accident, the captain and pilot continued to steer the ship into the dock. At 6:30 pm that day, the "Aquacharm" docked at Pier 10.
According to documents released by the Vietnam Maritime Port Authority, the "Aquacharm" is registered in the Marshall Islands, measuring 292 meters in length, with a tonnage of 182309 tons and a crew of 22 people. The ship, carrying 170856 tons of iron ore, sailed from Australia to Rongju and entered the anchorage at 4:56 am on October 14th.
The Huafa Rongju Special Port has a total of 12 berths, and the accident occurred at berth 10.
The operator of the terminal, Hoa Phat Dung Quat, stated that after the accident, they immediately focused on unloading the ore on board and coordinated with relevant parties to handle the situation. At present, the operation of berth 10 is affected, while the operation of the other 11 berths is normal and production is not affected.
Given the upcoming rainy and stormy season, as well as the strong northeast monsoon affecting the region, the General Maritime Port Authority requires ship owners and captains to urgently coordinate and develop plans to ensure the safety of ships leaving the dock for anchorage and waiting for further instructions. The Port Authority also requires at least one tugboat with a power exceeding 5000 horsepower to be stationed 24 hours a day near the mooring location of the Aquacharm.
