Container ship hits Panama Canal wall

Chinese Neopanamax damaged by contact after hitting Panama Canal wall

Marine

By Allie Sanchez

A China Cosco Shipping (Cosco) container ship hit the Panama Canal wall while transiting the new Agua Clara locks last Thursday.

MV Xin Fei Zhou, an 8,500 TEU Neopanamax, made contact with the wall sustaining damage to its hull, a report said. The ship is still anchored near the canal according to reports.

However, traffic in the expanded Panama Canal was not affected as the wall suffered only minor damage.

Panama Canal Authority told reporters that the incident is under current investigation according to the Panama Canal’s Navigation Regulations.

Another Cosco ship, Cosco Shipping Panama, sailed through the Expanded Panama Canal during its June 26 inauguration.

A joint study by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and Brazil’s Fundação Homem de Mar (FHM) raised issues over the considerable safety concerns of the expanded canal’s new locks.

The study said that at 427 meters long and 55 meters wide, the new locks are inadequate to accommodate the Neopanamaxes. The largest ships can measure up to 366 meters long and 49 meters wide, which leaves little room for manoeuvrability, making these vessels vulnerable to accidents.

The Panama Canal Authority questioned the validity of the study, raising issues over its scientific accuracy and credibility.

Keep up with the latest news and events

Join our mailing list, it’s free!