Collision and crane collapse at Port of Kaohsiung

A container ship collision at the Taiwanese port of Kaohsiung has caused the collapse of two quayside cranes, with one dock worker suffering minor injuries and two others temporarily trapped.

At around 11.30am local time, the OOCL-owned containership Durban while attempting to dock at Kaohsiung’s pier 66 is understood to have side-swiped the Yang Ming vessel Yongyang, which was already tied-up at pier 70.

This collision caused the Durban to strike the quay crane which in turn struck a further crane as it collapsed. The trapped port workers were promptly freed and no-one suffered life-threatening injuries.

Footage from Kaohsiung captures the dramatic incident as it happened:

It is not yet clear how long the quay will take to clear or when operations will be resumed at Taiwan’s largest port. However any delays caused by reduced operational capacity will only add further strain to Far East supply chains already stretched by ocean freight demand hugely outstripping supply.

We will continue to monitor the situation and update customers accordingly. Customers concerned their cargoes may be impacted should contact their Customer Development Manager for updates. Don’t forget that we are also able to offer a range of outstanding airfreight services to complement your existing ocean / land supply chain solutions.

For more information please call us on 01375 414 331 or email info@ugroup.co.uk