Accident: A chemical ship collides with a cargo ship near Japan

Accident: A chemical ship collides with a cargo ship near Japan

At around 02:00 local time on the 20th, the Japanese-owned chemical ship Ryoshin Maru (IMO 9893785) collided with the Belize-flagged freighter Xin Hai 99 (IMO 8679364) about two nautical miles from Kushimoto. No one was injured, but the Shinkai was damaged in the collision and some of its fuel was splashed into the water.

Photos taken by local media showed the Xinhai being heavily trimmed and leaning slightly to starboard, but thanks to her response efforts, she maintained enough stability to maintain sailing. The tanker's bow suffered relatively minor damage, including torn hull plating above the waterline.

Pollution control work is underway and the Japan Coast Guard is investigating the circumstances of the collision. The tanker's bow collided with the freighter's starboard side ahead of the wheelhouse, according to the Kushimoto Coast Guard. AIS data provided by Pole Star shows that in the minutes before the incident, the two ships were aligned for a starboard-to-starboard passage arrangement. The tanker was ballasted and headed east to Kashima, while the bulk carrier headed west with a full load of steel. The Associated Press reported that the crew of the Xinhai 99 accused Liangxinwan of turning their ship abruptly.

Shenzhen Xunlaitong specializes in shipping export from Shenzhen to Australia & New Zealand, Germany, Netherlands and more business

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