Skip to main content

Accidents

Collision of Cosco Shipping Leo and Mercury Triumph

During sea trials, the new containership Cosco Shipping Leo collided with the general cargo vessel Mercury Triumph south of Jejudo Island, damaging both vessels and delaying Leo's planned entry into liner service.

Classification

  • Incident Type: Collision
  • Severity: High

Vessel Details

VesselTypeFlagIMO NumberGross TonnageLOA (m)
Cosco Shipping LeoContainerHong Kong [HK]9783502196670400
Mercury TriumphGeneral CargoPanama [PA]93792729647120

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date2018-03-29
Location52 nautical miles south of Jejudo Island, South Korea
RegionSouth Korea
Coordinates32.4583, 126.9600
ContextCosco Shipping Leo was conducting sea trials; Mercury Triumph was reported en route from Japan to China with steel cargo.
Direct DamageMercury Triumph suffered hull damage, water ingress, and loss of propulsion; Cosco Shipping Leo sustained starboard-bow damage and lost an anchor.

Key facts

  • The International Maritime Organization's casualty-investigation list records Mercury Triumph's 29 March 2018 collision at 32°27.50' N, 126°57.60' E, 52 nautical miles south of Jejudo Island.
  • Safety4Sea reported that Cosco Shipping Leo sustained starboard-bow damage, including dented hull plating, and lost an anchor; Mercury Triumph sustained hull damage and water ingress in ballast tanks and became disabled.
  • Splash 247 reported that Mercury Triumph was travelling from Japan to China and that Cosco Shipping Leo's planned introduction to the Ocean Alliance NEU2 service was postponed by two weeks.
  • Contemporary reports stated that no casualties or injuries were reported, but no official casualty count has been located.

Narrative

Cosco Shipping Leo, a newly built ultra-large containership undergoing sea trials, collided with the general cargo vessel Mercury Triumph on 29 March 2018 in the East China Sea. The International Maritime Organization's casualty-investigation list places the casualty at 32°27.50' N, 126°57.60' E, about 52 nautical miles south of Jejudo Island. Contemporary maritime reporting identified the containership as Cosco Shipping Leo and said Mercury Triumph was travelling from Japan to China with a steel cargo.

The available reports describe damage to both vessels. Safety4Sea reported starboard-bow damage and a lost anchor on Cosco Shipping Leo. It also reported hull damage extending along Mercury Triumph, water ingress into ballast tanks, and loss of propulsion that left the general cargo vessel disabled and drifting. Splash 247 separately described the consequence as a hull breach and loss of power. These accounts establish the reported physical consequences, but they do not provide a formal damage survey or monetary valuation.

The collision affected the new containership's commercial introduction. Splash 247 reported that Cosco Shipping Leo's planned 14 April entry into the Ocean Alliance Asia-Europe NEU2 service was postponed by two weeks and that Cosco Shipping Gemini took the sailing slot. This is a reported operational consequence, not an independently verified repair or delivery record. A 2021 legal-industry profile referred to a USD 9 million damages matter involving the collision, but it did not identify whether that figure was a claim, settlement, award, or final loss estimate.

Contemporary reports stated that no casualties or injuries were reported. No official incident report, navigational reconstruction, environmental assessment, or causal finding was identified in the live sources reviewed. The circumstances leading to the collision therefore remain unknown.

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
2018-03-29Cosco Shipping Leo, on sea trials, collided with Mercury Triumph about 52 nautical miles south of Jejudo Island.
2018-03-29Contemporary reports described damage to both vessels; Mercury Triumph was reported disabled after hull damage, water ingress, and loss of propulsion.
2018-04-11Splash 247 reported that Cosco Shipping Leo's planned entry into the NEU2 service had been postponed by two weeks.

Investigation

The IMO casualty-investigation list records the event as a marine casualty involving Mercury Triumph, but no public official investigation report or causal findings were identified in the live sources reviewed. The available maritime reports describe the collision and its consequences without establishing navigational fault, weather conditions, watchkeeping performance, or another cause. The cause remains unknown.

References

Similar incidents