SIMIC

HONG Kong serves as a case study in the aftermath of a collision involving two container vessels during an overtaking maneuver on the river Elbe, reports Athens' Safety4Sea.

A container vessel registered in Hong Kong (referred to as vessel A) collided with another container vessel (vessel B), which had a gross tonnage of less than ten per cent of vessel A.



Both vessels were navigating upstream on the river Elbe en route to Hamburg under pilotage.



The collision occurred while vessel A was overtaking vessel B on the port side, and the weather and visibility conditions were favourable.



During the overtaking process, vessel B, the vessel being overtaken, unexpectedly lost steerability due to hydrodynamic interactions (specifically, the suction effect) between the two vessels.



Subsequently vessel B rapidly turned, aligning its bow with the stern of vessel A, resulting in a collision between the two vessels.



The impact led to vessel B developing a starboard list of 30 degrees to 40 degrees, causing an unlashed container on board to shift and a crew member, engaged in unlashing containers on the deck, to fall overboard.



Unfortunately, the missing crew member was recovered from the water an hour later, having succumbed to the incident.