SIMIC

ITALY's largest container port, Gioia Tauro, is back in action 24 hours after an MSC containership veered off course while maneuvering and grounded on the southern breakwater at the port's entrance.
The MSC Elaine was outbound on Monday morning, January 9, with good weather at the time of the grounding, reports Fort Lauderdale's The Maritime Executive.
The 1,114-foot vessel operates a route that takes it between the US East Coast and the Mediterranean. It was departing Gioia Tauro bound for Malta with the assistance of two port tugs when for unknown reasons it struck the breakwater and became stuck blocking the entrance to the port.
The vessel has a capacity of 8,500 TEU. Operations at the port were suspended trapping eight other ships in the harbour.
The Italian authorities said the weather was not an issue at the time of the grounding. Five local tugs were dispatched to free the containership and efforts continued overnight and into the morning on January 10.
The MSC Elaine was moved to the anchorage outside the port where local divers are inspecting the hull. The Coast Guard is also undertaking an investigation into the circumstances of the grounding.