Tag: shipping incidents

Search on for containers lost overboard off South Africa’s Indian Ocean: SAMSA

Pretoria: 03 September 2024

Brief interviews with SAMSA ship surveyor, Ms Mbali Mbonambi and 2OPIC official, Mr Vishal Pragraj while on aerial search for containers recently lost at sea on South Africa’s Indian Ocean coastline.

A search for cargo containers lost overboard off a number of vessels along South Africa’s Indian Ocean corridor over the last month continues, while two of the vessels most recently affected – the MV CMA CMG Belem, currently in the port of Ngqurha, and the MSC Antonio, now safely berthed in Cape Town – continue with their onboard cargo loads adjustments.

This is according to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) in a statement on Monday afternoon and in which it confirmed the safe arrival of the MSC Antonia at the port of Cape Town.

The vessel – a container ship sailing under the flag of Liberia – was the latest reported to haved suffered bad wintry weather conditions along South Africa’s Indian Ocean corridor leading to a loss of as many as 40 containers overboard, and for which a navigational warning has since been issued, along with a public call to report any sightings of the containers along the country’s eastern seaboard.

In the statement on Monday, SAMSA reported that the MSC Antonio had safely arrived in Cape Town on the day following an incident on 28 August 2024, during which severe weather conditions led to the loss of 46 containers overboard and damage to 305 containers on board.

“The incident occurred approximately 29 nautical miles northeast of Port St. Johns while the vessel was en-route from Colombo to New York. In light of the container loss, a navigation warning has been issued to all vessels operating in the affected area.

“The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) urges all maritime operators and the public to exercise caution. We request that any sightings of containers or debris along the South African coastline be reported immediately to local authorities or SAMSA by contacting the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at 021 938 3300 with the position, number, and colour of the containers if observed,” said SAMSA

The MSC Antonio incident followed shortly after the CMA CMG Belem also docked for a safe berth at the post of Ngqurha a few days earlier, having reportedly lost close to a 100 containers overboard due to bad weather, in an area adjacent Richards Bay on the KwaZulu-Natal provincial coast line.

The Malta-flagged CMA CGM Belem cargo vessel at shelter in Algoa Bay, near Gqeberha, Eastern Cape province, South Africa on Sunday 18 Augusts 2024; after losing numerous containers at sea in the Indian Ocean on Thursday evening. (Photo. SAMSA)

At the time, SAMSA reported that the CMA CGM Belem, a container ship sailing under the Maltese flag, encountered severe weather off the coast of Richards Bay on the night of 15 August 2024, resulting in a significant stow collapse and a loss of 99 containers overboard.

The vessel, which measuring 336 meters in length, 51 meters in height, and a draft of 14.8 meters, had initially sought refuge at Maputo Bay but was redirected to Gqeberha.

On Friday last week, the ship’s insurer representatives in South Africa launched a five hour aerial surveillance and search for the vessel’s lost containers after several sightings of floating containers along the Wild Coast area of the Eastern Cape province were reported to SAMSA.

One of as many as 19 containers spotted at sea in an area along the Transkei Wild Coast during an aerial search on Friday last week (Photo: SAMSA)

However, during the search, while about 20 containers could be spotted by the search team in a fixed wing aircraft, it could not be readily established that any belonged to the CMA CGM Belem.

That notwithstanding, a SAMSA representative that was part of the aerial search team said in a brief interview that it remained important that action be taken to locate any containers still floating in the ocean area in the interest of safety of life and property at sea, as well as environmental protection.

On Monday afternoon, SAMSA confirmed the issuance of a navigational warning to vessels traversing the ocean area, as well as a public appeal for reports of any sightings of floating containers.

Said SAMSA: “Efforts are ongoing to search for the lost containers. The safety of the crew, the vessel, and the environment remains our top priority. SAMSA wishes to remind the public of the potential and unnecessary danger that may arise from attempting to salvage any wreckage that may wash ashore.

“We strongly urge the public to avoid handling any debris and instead contact the authorities, who will arrange for the safe salvage and disposal of the wreckage.”

In Cape Town, the MSC Antonia would undergo a comprehensive assessment and necessary repairs, said SAMSA adding that: “Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the crew, and the ship was able to continue its voyage safely despite the incident.

“Further updates will be provided as the situation develops and more information becomes available.”

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More regulations contemplated for small water-craft in SA waters to enhance safety: SAMSA

(SAMSA File Photo)

Pretoria: 07 May 2021

The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has given notice that it will revise regulations relating to the utilisation of small vessels such as ski-boats to facilitate implementation of more safety measures to secure the lives of users and the general environment.

The notice published as Marine Alert MA 01-21, according to SAMSA, comes in the wake of an incident in East London earlier this year during which two young people lost control of a ski-boat and one of the youths was injured after being struck by the out of control vessel, resulting in him suffering lacerations to the face and other injuries.

(SAMSA File Photo)

The incident, according to SAMSA, occurred at about 11am on 13 January 2021 on the Nahoon River near East London. An investigation established that; “Two teenagers were operating a small (regulation 37) ski-boat on the Nahoon river when they both fell overboard into the river whilst making a sharp turn. The boat then did circles on the river and witnesses called the NSRI to assist. Whilst in the water, the boat hit one of the two teenagers who sustained lacerations to the face and injuries to the body,” reads the notice.

It further states that: “The vessel was found to have had a kill-switch which had not been in operation. There had been no SVCC (small vessel certificate of competency) aboard. The operation of a kill-switch had not occurred as intended by the manufacturer, because operation of a kill-switch on Regulation 37 vessels is not mandatory, and thus perceived as not required. There had been no adult supervision or competent skipper to oversee the vessel operation.”

According to SAMSA; “The incident had a potential loss of one fatality/permanent injury, along with damage to local jetties and other small craft that were operating in the area, and minor pollution in Marine reserve.”

SAMSA says the incident reflected on a few issues of concern including that:

  • Certain Regulation 37 vessels (≤15HP) are powerful enough to tow a skier at speed and should thus be used with caution, especially if used by underaged/unqualified persons; and then only under supervision of a qualified skipper or an adult.
  • When a vessel is fitted with a kill-switch, the owner/operator should operate the vessel as intended.
  • Any safety device/equipment that is onboard a vessel when in operation, should be used appropriately, even if that vessel is not required by regulation to have it onboard.
(SAMSA File Photo)

In efforts to prevent potentially deadly incidents of the nature in the future, the agency states that:

“SAMSA strongly recommends that the owner/operator of any Regulation 37 vessel fitted with an operational kill-switch, should operate the kill-switch as intended. SAMSA will also revise regulations and consider the inclusion of appropriate Regulation 37 vessels in the requirements for kill-switches.”

Meanwhile, in a related Marine Alert (MA 02 21) also published this week, SAMSA reported on findings of shipping related accidents that occurred at both the port of Durban between 28 April 2020 and 26 October 2020, as well as the anchorage in Algoa Bay, and during which ropes and ladders were a common cause of slippages, resulting in injuries.

“In all four cases,” notes SAMSA; “….a fall from a height occurred. Two (2) of the four (4) incidents resulted in people being hospitalised.”

The agency restated the critical regulations governing the use of ropes and ladders on vessels at sea.

SAMSA said: “IMO Res A1045 (27) paragraph 2 lists the following requirements for ropes used in the construction of pilot ladders. Paragraph 5 lists the following requirements for hand rails at the pilot boarding area:

  1. The side ropes of the pilot ladder should consist of two uncovered ropes not less than18 mm in diameter on each side and should be continuous, with no joints, and have a breaking strain of at least 24 Kilo Newtons per side rope.
  2. Side ropes should be made of Manila or other material of equivalent strength, durability, elongation characteristics and grip which has been protected against actinic degradation and is to the satisfaction of the Administration.
  3. Adequate handholds should be provided at the point of embarking or disembarking from the ship via pilot ladder. These hand holds should not be spaced less than 700mm and not more than 800mm apart.”

For further detailed reading, the Marine Alert Notices are published on the SAMSA website. Further inquiries may be directed to SAMSA via this email address: Email: marinenotices@samsa.org.za

End.