On January 20, the 366 meter long, 147420 dwt container ship Manhattan Bridge suffered an explosion while berthing at the terminal in Felixstowe, England. A build up of steam caused the a back-fire explosion in the engine room killing one crewman and injuring another. The explosion was loud enough to be heard by people living near the terminal. The Marine Accident & Investigation Branch (MAIB) has launched an investigation into the incident.
The 369 meter long, 150,166 dwt container vessel APL Vanda ran aground on the Solent off Cowes, England. The APL Vanda was headed to Southampton from Le Havre when it suffered a power blackout and ran aground by the stern. The APL Vanda’s rudder was out of the water, but the vessel was undamaged. The RNLI lifeboat from Calshot along with several tugs arrived on scene. Eight tugs were able to refloat the APL Vanda two hours later. No reports of injuries or pollution released. The boxship was escorted into Southampton without issue.
