Classification
- Incident Type: Allision
- Severity: High
- Casualty classification: Serious marine casualty
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | APL Mexico City |
| Vessel Type | Container |
| Flag State | |
| IMO Number | |
| Gross Tonnage | |
| LOA (m) | 328 |
| Breadth (m) | 45 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2019-12-09 |
| Location | Deurganckdok, Port of Antwerp, Belgium |
| Region | Belgium |
| Coordinates | 51.2411, 4.4076 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | 0 |
| Direct Damage | Gantry crane destroyed; hull and propeller damaged; buoy and dolphin damaged or destroyed. |
| Economic Damage |
The reviewed report summary states that no injuries were reported. It does not provide a monetary damage estimate or preserve the direct report URL.
Key facts
- APL Mexico City broke free from its moorings at Doel, Antwerp, on 9 December 2019.
- The vessel drifted across the Deurganckdok and allided with a DP World gantry crane, which was totally destroyed.
- The falling crane jib damaged the vessel's hull and propeller below the waterline, rendering the vessel no longer seaworthy.
- A buoy and dolphin were also damaged or destroyed as the vessel continued toward the River Scheldt.
Narrative
On 9 December 2019, the container vessel APL Mexico City broke free from its moorings at Doel in the Port of Antwerp during exceptional weather. The vessel drifted across the Deurganckdok toward a gantry crane operated at the opposite side of the dock. It contacted the crane and caused its collapse, with the crane reported as totally destroyed. No injuries were reported.
The reviewed article summarizes the FEBIMA investigation and attributes the casualty to the combination of exceptional meteorological conditions and the unavailability of tug assistance requested by the master. Seven mooring hawsers on the forward part of the vessel broke. The main engine was then put ahead in an attempt to regain control, after which the stern mooring hawsers also failed. APL Mexico City subsequently drifted or sailed into the crane.
The falling crane jib damaged the vessel's hull and propeller, including the hull below the waterline, and left the vessel no longer seaworthy. As the vessel continued toward the River Scheldt, it also damaged or destroyed a buoy and a dolphin. The available account does not state the vessel's flag, IMO number, gross tonnage, or a monetary value for the damage.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2019-12-09 | APL Mexico City broke free from its moorings at Doel during exceptional weather. |
| 2019-12-09 | Seven forward mooring hawsers failed, followed by the stern mooring hawsers after the main engine was put ahead. |
| 2019-12-09 | The vessel allided with and destroyed a gantry crane in the Deurganckdok. |
| 2019-12-09 | The vessel's hull and propeller, a buoy, and a dolphin were damaged. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Exceptional weather | Reported | The secondary account, summarizing the FEBIMA report, identifies exceptional meteorological conditions as part of the causal chain. |
| Tug assistance unavailable | Reported | The master had requested tug assistance to help keep the vessel alongside, but the assistance was unavailable before the mooring hawsers failed. |
| Mooring hawser failure | Confirmed finding | Seven forward hawsers broke, followed by the stern hawsers after the main engine was put ahead. |
Investigation
The Federal Bureau for the Investigation of Maritime Accidents (FEBIMA) investigated the allision. The available Marine-Pilots.com article summarizes the report's causal findings and classifies the event as a serious marine casualty because the allision caused hull damage below the waterline and impaired the vessel's seaworthiness. The article refers to a downloadable FEBIMA report, but its direct URL is not preserved in the available material.