A Maersk container ship manoeuvring into Fremantle Port has collided with a tall masted training ship, destroying its mast and injuring two crew members on the sail vessel, who were rushed to hospital.
The 8,800 TEU Maersk Shekou was attempting to dock at around 6:30 am local time at Fremantle Port, when the vessel collided with the 55m Leeuwin and also clipped a museum building.
Jay Weatherill, the chair of the Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation, said it was lucky no one had died, adding that while the workers’ injuries were not life-threatening, they were significant.
“They were on board the vessel, which is standard practice when the vessel is in berth. Obviously, they heard the damage as the ship collided with the Leeuwin, they came aboard from below deck … their injuries were sustained in seeking to get off the vessel,” noted Weatherill.
A Fremantle Port statement added that the Australian port has stringent “operational parameters” in place as ships move around the port.
Maersk Shekou had two pilots on board and was being accompanied to the berth by four tugs.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC): “A large container ship, the Maersk Shekou, was pushed into the STS Leeuwin after being struck by a sudden squall as it entered Fremantle Port after 6am today.”
Fremantle Port added that the collision had not damaged the sailing vessel’s hull and the STS Leeuwin does not appear to have not sustained any major damage.
The port authority said that the bow of the 332m Shekou appears to have collided with the Leeuwin and then the stern of the vessel had hit A Berth and the roof of the Maritime Museum.
Fremantle Ports chief executive Jodie Ransom said an investigation was underway into the causes of the accident. “At the moment, we’re not clear on what has happened,” she said. “There will be outside investigators who will come and join us, and we’ll come up with full details of what’s happened within the port.”
Ransom confirmed that the main initial concern for the port was the safety of staff. She stated, “We’ve been mainly dealing with the incident and the safety of the port and the safety of the personnel involved, so … details will follow with a full investigation.”
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) confirmed that it will deploy a team of four investigators from its Brisbane, Canberra, and Sydney offices. “They will conduct a range of evidence-gathering activities, including vessel examination, interviews, and the recovery of any relevant recorded data, as well as documents, records and weather information. A final report will be released at the conclusion of the investigation and will detail evidence, analysis and findings,” said the bureau in an announcement.
A spokesperson for AP Moller Maersk told Container News, ” We take this matter very seriously and are committed to fully cooperating with the authorities during the investigation.”
Mary Ann Evans
Correspondent at Large
