International Shipping Tragedy Kills 8 People

Posted May 16, 2013

In cargo, export, import, International Shipping

An exterior staircase stands mangled and tilted, all that’s left of the control tower of the Genoa Port in Italy.

A cargo ship crashed into the dock last week and toppled the control tower, killing eight people. Four people were hospitalized and one is still missing.

This week, funerals were held for the eight people who lost their lives in this tragedy.

How did this happen?

It was 11pm. A standard shift change was happening at the tower. A cargo ship called the Jolly Nero was leaving the port accompanied by tugboats. Conditions were perfect; the weather was clear. But suddenly the cargo ship slammed into the dock and tower, knocking much of the structure into the water with some rubble left lying on the dock.

“’This event is unbelievable because we had the best weather navigation conditions,’ said Luigi Merlo, president of the Genoa port authority. He declined to speculate on a cause, saying the ship had plenty of room to maneuver in the harbor and shouldn’t have ended up so close to the dock,” reported Yahoo! News.

Newser reported the captain of the Jolly Nero and the harbor pilot, who was on the ship’s bridge during the accident, have both been put under investigation for alleged manslaughter.

Apparently, that is standard practice in a tragedy like this and does not necessarily mean they think either person is responsible for the accident and deaths of eight, possibly nine people.

To quote Newser, “Transport Minister Maurizio Lupi told Parliament that given the ‘perfect’ weather conditions Tuesday night, possible causes of the crash could include an engine malfunction or problems with the cables between the container ship and the tugs guiding it.

“He said investigators were also looking into possible mistakes with the maneuver itself.”

The Genoa Port is a busy port in terms of import and export cargo handling. In fact, it is the busiest port in Italy when it comes to cargo handling. To see a tragedy like this happen there is heartbreaking.

Accidents like this one are rare; however, it is hopeful that the investigation into this accident will find the cause and help operators at the Genoa Port, as well as other ports around the world, to put practices into place that will help prevent such tragedies from happening in the future.

At Universal Cargo Management, we encourage you to take a moment of silence for the people who lost their lives in this cargo ship crash and pray for the families and friends of the victims.