Classification
- Incident Type: Allision
- Severity: Medium
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | OOCL Japan |
| Vessel Type | Container |
| Flag State | |
| IMO Number | |
| Gross Tonnage | |
| LOA (m) |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2018-06-06 |
| Time | Around 12:00 UTC |
| Location | Suez Canal near kilometer 18 mark |
| Region | Egypt |
| Coordinates | 30.6053, 32.3331 |
| Fatalities | |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage |
Key facts
- FleetMon reported that OOCL Japan suffered a steering failure at about 12:00 UTC while transiting northbound through the Suez Canal.
- The vessel veered off the fairway near kilometer 18 and struck the canal embankment.
- Several dozen metres of the adjacent road reportedly collapsed, together with a passing car.
- Tugs quickly recovered OOCL Japan and the vessel resumed its voyage from Singapore toward Felixstowe.
- The article reported no injuries and described vessel damage as minor, if any; it did not provide a final damage assessment.
Narrative
FleetMon reported that OOCL Japan suffered a steering failure at about 12:00 UTC on 6 June 2018 while transiting northbound through the Suez Canal. The containership veered off the fairway near the kilometer 18 mark and struck the embankment. Several dozen metres of the adjacent road reportedly collapsed, together with a passing car.
OOCL Japan became stuck in the embankment but was quickly recovered by tugs and resumed its transit. The northbound convoy slowed to near-stop conditions and returned to normal speed in about half an hour. The article said the vessel was travelling from Singapore to Felixstowe and reportedly sustained minor damage, if any. It reported that nobody was injured.
The steering failure is treated as a reported event rather than a confirmed cause because the available article does not identify an official investigation or technical finding. It also does not quantify damage to the vessel, canal embankment, road, or car, and provides no monetary estimate. The final condition of the infrastructure and vehicle remains unresolved.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2018-06-06 around 12:00 UTC | OOCL Japan reportedly suffered a steering failure, veered off the fairway, and struck the embankment near kilometer 18. |
| 2018-06-06 | Part of the adjacent road reportedly collapsed, together with a passing car. |
| 2018-06-06 | Tugs recovered the vessel; the northbound convoy resumed normal speed in about half an hour. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Steering failure | Reported | FleetMon reported a steering failure immediately before the embankment strike; no official finding is identified. |
Investigation
No official investigation report or technical finding is identified in the available article. The reported steering failure and the final damage extent remain unconfirmed.
References
- FleetMon: Mega container ship destroyed Suez Canal road with passing car
- FleetMon article record