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Accidents

Gudri (2013)

Gudri capsized and sank in the Bonny River estuary near Ogidigbo, Nigeria, while assisting or monitoring the grounded vessel Symphony. Contemporary maritime reporting says people aboard were rescued, while a later Dutch court record treats Gudri as a total loss.

Classification

  • Incident Type: Capsize unknown mechanism
  • Severity: High
  • Evidence: Contemporary maritime reporting and a later Dutch court record

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel NameGudri
Vessel TypeTug
Flag StatePanama [PA]
IMO Number7515365
Call SignHP3191
Gross Tonnage1368
LOA (m)47.75
Breadth (m)13.87
Bollard Pull (t)
Power (kW)
Owner/OperatorGudri Shipping & Trading Corp. / Jampur International FZE
TEU
Year Built1976
Crew Size
Associated VesselSymphony

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date2013-11-05
LocationBonny River estuary near Ogidigbo, Nigeria
Coordinates6.4000, 3.4000
RegionAtlantic Ocean
Fatalities
Injuries
Missing
Cargo Loss
Direct Damage
Economic Damage
Vessel LossGudri, total loss
Insured Loss
Salvage/Cleanup Cost

Key facts

  • ESYS reports that Gudri capsized at about 15:00 on 5 November 2013 in heavy weather and shallow water in the Bonny River estuary while assisting or monitoring Symphony.
  • The same report says 15 people aboard were rescued by the patrol boat MAP 2 and taken to an NLNG jetty and hospital. A separate Nigerian report attributed to NIMASA disputes a closely related account involving MT Bori, so the exact rescue-vessel and personnel details remain unresolved.
  • A contemporary report says an NIMASA statement described Gudri as sunk in the Bonny Channel and reported no casualties apart from the vessel, but other rescue reporting conflicts over the tug and personnel involved. Final casualty counts remain unresolved.
  • A Dutch appellate court record confirms that Gudri capsized on or about 5 November 2013 and that the ensuing insurance dispute concerned total-loss damage estimated at USD 3,995,386. That figure is not treated as a final damage valuation.

Narrative

The former tug Typhoon was renamed Gudri in 2012 and operated under the Panamanian flag. On 3 November 2013, Symphony, a former LNG tanker converted to a storage vessel, ran aground near Ogidigbo in the Bonny Channel. Contemporary maritime accounts report that Gudri was sent to assist, monitor, or attempt to refloat the casualty.

ESYS reports that Gudri capsized at about 15:00 on 5 November in heavy weather and shallow water, sank on her port side, and remained partly above the water. It reports that 15 people aboard were rescued by the NLNG patrol boat MAP 2 and taken to the NLNG jetty and a local hospital. A separate Nigerian report carried a NIMASA denial concerning a rescue account involving MT Bori and said NIMASA or naval personnel were not aboard that tug. The available sources therefore support the rescue response but do not establish a single uncontested account of who was aboard or which tug was involved.

The Hague Court of Appeal later described Gudri as a lost vessel in insurance litigation and recorded an estimated total-loss damage claim of USD 3,995,386. The case was not a marine-casualty investigation and did not establish the mechanism of the capsize. No public Nigerian casualty-investigation report was located.

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
2013-11-03Symphony was reported aground near Ogidigbo in the Bonny Channel.
2013-11-05 15:00 localGudri was reported assisting or monitoring Symphony when she capsized in heavy weather and shallow water.
2013-11-05Contemporary reports described a rescue operation involving an NLNG patrol boat; the exact personnel and rescue-vessel account is disputed.

Investigation

No public Nigerian marine-casualty investigation report was located. The Hague Court of Appeal record is a primary court source for the vessel's loss and the later insurance dispute, not for navigational or stability causation. The available web evidence does not establish whether Gudri capsized through girding, towline failure, hydrodynamic interaction, stability failure, or another mechanism.

References

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