Classification
- Incident Type: Allision
- Severity: Medium
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | MSC Opera |
| Vessel Type | Cruise |
| IMO Number | 9250464 |
| Gross Tonnage | 65591 |
| LOA (m) | 275 |
The available article describes the second vessel only as a smaller passenger ferry.
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2019-06-02 |
| Location | San Basilio dock, Giudecca Canal, Venice |
| Region | Italy |
| Coordinates | 45.4295, 12.3212 |
| Injuries | 4 |
| Fatalities | |
| Missing | |
| Outcome | MSC Opera struck San Basilio dock and a nearby passenger ferry; four people suffered minor injuries. |
| Direct Damage | |
| Estimated Economic Damage |
Key facts
- MSC Opera was approaching a terminal on Venice's Giudecca Canal when it struck San Basilio dock and a nearby passenger ferry.
- Local officials reported four minor injuries.
- MSC Cruises attributed the contact to a technical problem.
- Emergency workers reported that the ship appeared to lose control after a steel tow line connecting it to a tugboat snapped.
- Photographs showed damage to the cruise ship and the concrete pier.
Narrative
On 2 June 2019, MSC Opera was approaching a terminal on Venice's Giudecca Canal when it struck the concrete San Basilio dock and a nearby smaller passenger ferry. Local officials reported that four people sustained minor injuries. Photographs published with the gCaptain article showed damage to the cruise ship and the pier.
The article carried two related explanations for the loss of control. MSC Cruises said the vessel struck the dock and ferry because of a technical problem. Reuters reporting cited emergency workers who said the ship appeared to lose control after a steel tow line connecting it to an assisting tugboat snapped. The available account does not establish whether the line failure resulted from the reported technical problem or was a separate part of the casualty sequence.
No official investigation report or final causal findings have been identified in the reviewed material. The exact technical failure, tug-assistance sequence, damage extent and identity of the passenger ferry therefore remain unresolved.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2019-06-02 | MSC Opera approached a terminal on the Giudecca Canal with tug assistance. |
| 2019-06-02 | A steel tow line reportedly snapped and the cruise ship appeared to lose control. |
| 2019-06-02 | MSC Opera struck San Basilio dock and a nearby passenger ferry; four minor injuries were reported. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Technical problem | Reported | MSC Cruises attributed the contact to a technical problem, but the article did not identify the failed system. |
| Tow-line failure | Reported | Emergency workers said the ship appeared to lose control after a steel line connecting it to a tugboat snapped. |
Investigation
The available reporting does not identify a formal investigation body or published findings. The technical-problem and tow-line accounts remain reported explanations rather than official causal determinations.