Classification
- Incident Type: Allision
- Severity: High
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | SAFMARINE NOKWANDA |
| Vessel Names | SAFMARINE NOKWANDA / TIANJIN |
| Vessel Type | Container |
| Flag State | Hong Kong [HK] |
| IMO Number | 9294393 |
| Gross Tonnage | 50624 |
| Breadth (m) | 37 |
| LOA (m) |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2019-03-02 |
| Location | Busan New Port |
| Region | South Korea |
| Coordinates | |
| Fatalities | |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Investigation Body | |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage |
Key facts
- Safmarine Nokwanda struck Tianjin during berthing on 2 March 2019.
- Tianjin was moored; its stern and containers were damaged.
- Safmarine Nokwanda sustained bow damage, including a reported breach.
- No injuries or oil spills were reported.
- Both ships subsequently departed Busan, following reported temporary repairs.
Narrative
On 2 March 2019, Safmarine Nokwanda was berthing at Busan New Port when it struck the stern of Tianjin, which was moored at the container terminal. The impact damaged Tianjin's stern structure and crushed or collapsed containers. Safmarine Nokwanda sustained damage to its bow, including a breach reported by FleetMon.
Korean maritime reporting attributed the contact to engine trouble that prevented Safmarine Nokwanda from going astern. This remains a reported explanation rather than a published investigation finding. The same account reported 24 crew aboard Safmarine Nokwanda and 22 aboard Tianjin, with no human injuries or marine pollution. Other contemporary reporting also stated that no injuries or oil spills occurred.
After temporary repairs, both vessels departed Busan. By 4 March, Splash reported Safmarine Nokwanda heading towards China and Tianjin towards the Americas, based on AIS data. The eventual permanent repair outcome and monetary damage were not established.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2019-03-02 | Safmarine Nokwanda struck moored Tianjin while berthing. |
| By 2019-03-04 | Both ships had departed Busan after reported temporary repairs. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Engine trouble | Reported | Korean maritime press reported an inability to go astern during berthing; no official causal finding is available. |
Investigation
No official investigation report or causal findings were identified. The reported engine trouble has not been confirmed by a published investigation finding.
References
- FleetMon: Big container ships collision in Busan, serious damages
- Splash: Maersk and ZIM boxships collide at Busan Port
- Maritime Korea: Review of recent ship collisions
- Lloyd's List: Zim containers damaged in Busan port collision