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Accidents

Wind Orca / BG Orange allision at Port of Tyne (2026)

Wind Orca, a Danish-flagged jack-up wind-turbine installation vessel, was leaving the dock at the Port of Tyne at about 13:00 on 19 July 2026. It allided with the berthed Portuguese-flagged container ship BG Orange and then struck a manned 750-tonne quayside gantry crane. The crane collapsed across BG Orange. Its operator suffered several broken bones, required surgery and was later reported to be recovering at home.

Classification

FieldValue
Incident TypeAllision
SeverityHigh
RegionUnited Kingdom

Vessel Details

VesselTypeFlag StateIMO NumberGross TonnageLOA (m)
Wind OrcaOffshore VesselDenmark [DK]9601326161.3
BG OrangeContainerPortugal [PT]996463718292161.36

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date2026-07-19
LocationPort of Tyne, South Shields, England
RegionUnited Kingdom
Injuries1
Physical damageBG Orange and five containers were damaged; a 750-tonne quayside gantry crane collapsed across the ship.
Environmental consequencePlastic pellets entered the River Tyne, prompting an extended river and shoreline recovery operation.

Key facts

  • Wind Orca was leaving the dock at about 13:00 when it allided with the berthed BG Orange and then a manned gantry crane.
  • The crane collapsed and its operator sustained several broken bones that required surgery.
  • Five containers were damaged, including two pellet containers that split open.
  • The port later estimated that 17.92 tonnes of plastic pellets entered the River Tyne.
  • The Marine Accident Investigation Branch listed the occurrence as under investigation.

Narrative

Wind Orca, a Danish-flagged jack-up wind-turbine installation vessel, was leaving the dock at the Port of Tyne at about 13:00 on 19 July 2026. It allided with the berthed Portuguese-flagged container ship BG Orange and then struck a manned 750-tonne quayside gantry crane. The crane collapsed across BG Orange. Its operator suffered several broken bones, required surgery and was later reported to be recovering at home.

Police restricted access to the scene for more than 24 hours while the crane remained unstable. When responders obtained access, they found five damaged containers. Two containers carrying plastic pellets had split open, and a third pellet container was damaged but remained closed. Pellets had entered the River Tyne in a release that the port said lasted less than 30 seconds. Containment booms, workboats, skimmers, pumps and manual recovery teams were deployed on the river and affected shorelines.

On 30 July, the floating crane Matador 3 separated the collapsed crane boom from BG Orange during a ten-hour salvage operation. The damaged containers were then removed for examination and recovery. The port later estimated that 17.92 tonnes of pellets had entered the river, of which 5.14 tonnes had been recovered from the water and beaches by 23 September. Recovery and monitoring continued into October.

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
2026-07-19 13:00 localWind Orca allided with the berthed BG Orange and then the manned gantry crane, which collapsed.
2026-07-19Plastic pellets entered the River Tyne from damaged containers.
2026-07-22Responders accessed and began stabilising BG Orange and its damaged containers.
2026-07-30Matador 3 removed the collapsed crane boom from BG Orange during a ten-hour salvage operation.
2026-09-23The recorded river and shoreline recovery total reached 5.14 tonnes of pellets.
2026-10-07The port reported that monitoring and collection would continue under a revised recovery plan.

Investigation

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch listed the contact between Wind Orca and BG Orange as under investigation. The Port of Tyne also identified Northumbria Police and the Statutory Harbour Authority as investigators. The official listing records damage to BG Orange and states that an MAIB report will be published, but no findings or dedicated report were available by 8 October 2026. The cause therefore remains undetermined.

References