Container ship collision at Port of Kaohsiung causes crane collapse: one injured
One person was injured and two people were trapped in the wreckage after a container ship in the process of docking collided with another ship, causing one container crane to collapse, and badly damaging another at the Port of Kaohsiung today, June 3.
At around 11:30 am the 316-meter-long, 86,679 gross tonnage container ship DURBAN, owned by OOCL Shipping Company, was attempting to dock at pier 66, when it sideswiped the 32,720 gross tonnage CONSTANCY (永明) belonging to Yangming Shipping, that was docked at pier 70.
The collision caused one of four container cranes, GC8 to collapse. GC8 collapsed onto GC6. [Previously incorrectly reported GC6 collapsed]. Workers ran for their lives as the container crane began to crumple to the ground. As the crane collapsed, it hit a stack of containers, causing it also to collapse.
The accident left one worker slightly injured, and two operators trapped inside the cranes.
The injured 58-year-old man, named Zhang, was treated at Yuan’s General Hospital for a cut on his forearm, and abrasions on one foot. Zhang also had x-rays taken to check for internal injuries as he was suffering from chest discomfort.
The trapped workers were finally extracted at 12:44 pm and are reported to be uninjured.
The Port of Kaohsiung is Taiwan’s largest port, and the 15th largest port in the world. Around three-quarters of Taiwan’s container throughput enters and exits via the Port of Kaohsiung.
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