The Aquacharm oil tanker arrived at Duc Khuat Port in Vietnam near Da Nang on October 14, 2023, after traveling from Australia. This tanker, registered in the Marshall Islands and weighing 182,000 tons, was carrying over 170,000 tons of iron ore.
Details of the Incident
The Aquacharm oil tanker remained waiting to enter the dock on October 18, 2023, due to a lack of space, and in the afternoon of the same day, a captain joined it. The captain informed port authorities that the tanker was moving towards dock number 10 in the Hoa Phat steel complex at Duc Khuat. About an hour later, while the tanker was maneuvering to enter the dock, it collided with a section of the pier that was under construction.
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Damage and Safety Measures
This collision occurred around 6:30 PM, and local authorities arrived at the scene to assess the damage. An initial inspection revealed that the tanker had a 5-meter tear in the front, which extended to both sides of the ship but remained above the waterline. No damage to the tanks, pollution, or injuries to the crew were reported.
A large portion of the new dock expansion was also severely damaged. Following the incident, port authorities requested a plan to secure the tanker and emphasized that the ship must be secured before the onset of the rainy and stormy season. Current operations are focused on unloading iron ore from the tanker.
With the rainy and stormy season approaching, authorities issued a set of new guidelines for the movement of vessels on October 20, 2023. They announced that due to the potential impact of strong northeastern monsoon winds, ship owners and captains must arrange coordination plans for the safe movement of vessels. Additionally, the port authority now requires the presence of at least one tugboat equipped with azimuth thrusters with a minimum power of 5,000 horsepower near the Aquacharm oil tanker. These boats must be fully equipped with oil spill response, firefighting, rescue, and maritime salvage equipment, and their crews must have sufficient experience in managing emergency situations.
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