Collision, Container Ship

Ho Chi Minh | Vietnam

A container ship collided with a bulk carrier while transiting through the Long Tau River in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. The collision resulted in the two vessels becoming wedged together and adrift in the middle of the channel. The collision also resulted in an oil spill from the wing tanks of the bulk carrier. The local authorities made several attempts using local harbor tugs and main engines of the two vessels but were unsuccessful.  

Resolve Marine mobilized a team from Singapore and Indonesia under the instruction of the underwriters. Together with Resolve Marine’s Vietnamese partners TAS Marine, a thorough inspection was carried out around the vessel and the contact areas, and together with the appointed salvors of the bulk carrier, it was determined that the contact section of the bulk carrier was sitting on the bow of the container vessel, thereby preventing the two vessels from separating during the initial attempts by the authorities.  

A salvage plan was formulated based on these findings and presented to the local authorities and governmental bodies. Local harbor tugs were utilized and strategically placed around the two vessels, taking into consideration the river current. Both vessels were successfully separated after a series of ballasting operations to reduce the contact pressure between the two vessels. The container ship was then brought to a safe anchorage at the river mouth for a damage assessment before proceeding to its next destination.