MSC Gemma Collides With Fenders In Antwerp
| Accident | : Collision |
| Vessel Involved | : MSC Gemma |
| Location | : Zandvliet Lock in Antwerp, Belgium |
| Casualties/Pollution | : Nil |
Vessel Info:
| Length | : 279.00 m |
| Beam | : 40.00 m |
| Draft | : 9.00 m |
| Deadweight | : 67,566 DWT |
| Gross tonnage | : 66,289 GRT |
| Built at | : Samsung Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries in their shipyard in Geoje, South Korea |
| Operated by | : MSC |
| Year Built | : 2000 |
At Zandvliet Lock in Antwerp, Belgium, the container ship MSC Gemma collided with the fenders. The accident was caused by the two tugs presumably pulling it at too high speed. The ship was carrying only 400 TEU on board and had excessive lateral wind area, and so it was unresistant to the stormy weather. On entering the lock, it collided with the fenders.
The collision caused a 3-4 meters long breach in starboard side above the waterline of the vessel. It remained afloat and proceeded to Antwerp. The ship will be repaired during cargo handling operations and will be inspected by the local authorities before return in service.
The Zandvliet Lock did not suffer any damage and service was not interrupted. Probably MSC Gemma may lose a day in its time schedule.
