The Guam port cranes experienced an incident due to strong winds on Friday night, October 11, 2023, and all three cranes in service were taken out of operation.
Details of the Incident
At around 9:30 PM, Crane 6 was dislodged from its secure position and moved approximately 300 meters along the port rail. This crane collided with Cranes 5 and 4, causing them to also shift towards the dock. After this collision, Crane 6 derailed, and Crane 5 had one of its wheels come off the rail.
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Crane 4 was in a better condition and appeared to be restored to operational status more quickly. While port experts were trying to assess the situation, the strong winds made it dangerous for them, and thus the work was postponed to Saturday.
Efforts to Restore Operations
The port manager stated: "Our immediate priority is to safely assess the condition of all three cranes and determine the necessary steps to restore operations to normal." Efforts resumed on Saturday, and the team successfully used heavy equipment to separate Crane 5 from Crane 4. This action created space for the repair of Crane 4.
However, the port announced that loading and unloading operations had not changed, and the next two ships had cargo that could be unloaded without the need for cranes. The strong winds at the time of the incident were reported to reach up to 160 kilometers per hour.
The cranes involved in this incident were manufactured by Hitachi and have been in operation since the 1980s. Guam port has recently secured $60 million from the federal government to purchase three new cranes, and these three old cranes will soon be taken out of service. Guam port operations are of special importance due to its strategic position for the United States Navy and Air Force.
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