Wan Hai A17 and Hai Li 5 collision (2025)

Classification

• Incident Type: Collision
• Severity: High
• Tug involvement: no
• Tug mechanism: N/A

Vessel Details

Incident Details

Key facts

• The collision occurred in the Pearl River Estuary on the evening of 25 October 2025.
• Wan Hai reported that Hai Li 5 lost power and struck the inbound containership Wan Hai A17.
• Hai Li 5 began sinking after the collision and was subsequently reported sunk.
• Thirteen Hai Li 5 seafarers were rescued from the water, while two remained missing.
• Wan Hai A17 deployed emergency equipment and a rescue boat before being detained and anchored in the Lingding Channel.

Narrative

On the evening of 25 October 2025, the Singapore-flagged containership Wan Hai A17 was inbound in the Pearl River Estuary when it was involved in a collision with the Chinese bulker Hai Li 5. The available account attributes the sequence to a Wan Hai company statement, which reported that Hai Li 5 lost power before striking the containership. No official investigation findings were available in the reviewed material, so the reported power loss remains a preliminary factor rather than a confirmed cause.

Hai Li 5 began sinking immediately after the collision and was subsequently reported sunk. Wan Hai A17 activated its emergency measures, dropped lifebuoys and emergency signaling devices, and launched a rescue boat. Guangzhou Maritime Safety Administration commenced a search and rescue operation and temporarily suspended vessel traffic in the area.

Chinese officials reported that 13 seafarers were rescued from the water and that the search continued for two missing people. The source stated that none of the 23 crew members aboard Wan Hai A17 reported injuries, but it did not establish an incident-wide injury or fatality total. Those casualty fields therefore remain blank. The source also did not report pollution, cargo loss, monetary damage, or the extent of any damage to Wan Hai A17.

After the emergency response, Wan Hai A17 was detained and anchored in the Lingding Channel. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, acting as the containership's flag-state authority, stated that it had been advised of the accident and would conduct an investigation in addition to Chinese efforts. No official report or confirmed causal findings were identified. The exact collision coordinates and the final status of the two missing seafarers also remain unconfirmed.

Sequence of events

Contributing factors

Investigation

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, acting as the flag-state authority for Wan Hai A17, reported that it had been advised of the accident and would conduct an investigation in addition to Chinese efforts. Guangzhou Maritime Safety Administration commenced the local search and rescue response and temporarily suspended vessel traffic. The reviewed source does not provide an official investigation report or confirmed findings on the collision's cause.

References

• Two Missing as Chinese Bulker Sinks After Colliding with Wan Hai Boxship

Related

• Wan Hai A17
• China
• The Maritime Executive
• Wan Hai Lines
• Samsung Heavy Industries
• Guangzhou Maritime Safety Administration
• Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
• Collision
• Sinking
• Hai Li 5

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