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The sinking of the 'Sewol' was caused by internal structural failures, including a malfunctioning steering system and poor stability, according to recently revealed findings from government investigations ahead of the 11th anniversary of the tragedy. The Mokpo branch of the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal said on April 14, 2025, that a special panel issued its conclusion on the tragedy in November last year — 10 years and 7 months after the ferry sank on April 16, 2014. While court rulings apply to general legal cases, maritime accidents in Korea are subject to the tribunal’s decisions. The tribunal’s judgment document functions similarly to a court verdict. The panel fully ruled out the theory that external factors, such as a collision, caused the ferry to sink, according to the tribunal’s findings: “Based on findings following the vessel's salvage and inspection, we did not confirm any evidence of external forces that could have caused an abrupt turn, such as hull damage. As there was no credible evidence of external impact, we did not consider that theory in our determination.” Instead, the panel found that the abrupt turn made by the ferry was not due to human error by the helmsman but rather a mechanical failure in the ship's steering system. The panel also took the arguments from a 2018 investigation that claimed the solenoid valve in Pump No. 2 of the steering gear was stuck and led the steering system to malfunction. At the time of the accident, the ship’s stability was already severely compromised. This was due to extensive structural modifications made to increase the passenger capacity, which raised the ship’s center of gravity. Although vessels with weakened stability must carry less cargo, the 'Sewol' was found to have been carrying nearly twice the amount allowed in its stability calculations — 2,021 tons, instead of the permitted 1,077 tons. To make matters worse, the cargo had not been properly secured. The unfastened cargo made the ferry severely tilt while making a turn. Water then flooded through the openings in the outer hull, resulting in the loss of stability, according to the panel’s conclusion. Out of the 476 people on board, 304 were killed or went missing in the disaster. The tribunal attributed the scale of the human toll to the crew's failure to take active rescue measures.

Ten fire engines were deployed to a large blaze aboard the 'Sider Olympia' at Northfleet, Gravesend, on April 13, 2025. Units from Kent Fire & Rescue Service (KFRS) have been working with the Coastguard and London Fire Brigade at Crete Hall Road, Gravesend, after a fire was reported at about 03:00 a.m. BST. The fire erupted from the vessel’s large storage bunkers. By the time crews arrived, flames had already taken hold of the ship. Multiple fire engines, a high-volume pump, an aerial ladder platform, a height vehicle, technical rescue teams, drones, and marine specialists were deployed. A bulk water carrier, water safety unit and the fire boat 'Errington' from the Lambeth River Station were also in attendance along with the volunteer response team, which was offering welfare support to crews and other partners. The firefighters, wearing breathing apparatus, boarded the vessel, using hoses to cool the upper decks and control the intense heat inside..By 3:30 p.m., the fire was successfully brought under control. All crew members were reported safe and accounted for. The cause of the fire remained under investigation. A joint investigation between fire and maritime officials is expected to begin once the situation is fully stabilised. Reports with photos and video: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/gravesend/news/fire-crews-battle-large-cargo-ship-blaze-322843/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Ct3sk8PKU https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/massive-fire-breaks-out-on-cargo-ship-in-north-kent/

An investigation was launched into the allision of the Panama flagged cargo m/v cargo m/v 'Else', 2449 gt ( IMO: 9006320 ), enroute from Klaipeda to Les Sables with a cargo of ammonnium nitrate, with the northern lock of the Kiel Canal in Kiel-Holtenau upon entering the lock on Aug 29 at 5 a.m. at the pier of the Lindenau Yard in Kiel-Friedrcrichsort. Usually ships stop about 800 meters off the locks on the Kiel Fjord to take a pilot on board, and may only proceed once he has embarked. The 'Else' had ordered a pilot but continued its voyage without reducing speed and crashed into the closed gate with about six knots. The gate was severely damaged, and inspections by divers were to start on Aug 31 to find out if the submerged tanks of it were damaged too. The lock was closed for shipping for the time being, leaving only one of four locks in Holtenau in operating condition. One gate is still under repair after having been hit by the container m/v 'Akacia' 2,5 years ago, another gate is under repair too. It was investigated if this could be used once the now damaged gate has been removed.

Vesselles

The National Agency of Ukraine for Finding, Tracing and Management of Assets Derived from Corruption and Other Crimes (ARMA) has put up for sale the 'Nika Spirit', which has been seized in Izmail, Odesa region. The auction is scheduled for April 21, 2025, with a starting price of UAH 2.438.5000. The vessel is actually a tanker for the transportation of oil products. It was built in 1989. The functional wear and tear is 80%. On Nov 4, 2024, the Dniprovsky District Court of Kyiv allowed the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) to seize the Russian tanker, formerly known as 'Neyma', which was detained on July 24, 2019, in the port of Izmail. The vessel was identified as the one used to block the Kerch Strait on Nov 25, 2018., when it allegedly ran aground under the arch of the Kerch Bridge, while the Ukrainian ships 'Berdiansk' and 'Nikopol' and the tug 'Yany Kapu' were making a planned passage from the port of Odesa to the port of Mariupol in the Sea of Azov and were attacked by Russian warships, resulting in the capture of Ukrainian sailors.

The 'Aita Mari' rescued 125 boat people in the waters of the Central Mediterranean on April 13, 2025. It was the second rescue carried out by the NGO Salvamento Marítimo Humanitario (SMH), which disembarked 108 people in Salerno on April 14. Among the rescued were 19 minors, 16 of them unaccompanied, and two under 12 years old. There were also two pregnant women. The migrants came from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Sudan, Egypt, Togo, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon, Benin, Ghana, and Niger. After disembarking the 108 people rescued four days earlier in Salerno, the 'Aita Mari' resumed its mission in the Central Mediterranean. Alarm Phone then mobilized the humanitarian ship to respond to the critical situation of a rubber dinghy with a broken bottom and 84 people on board, in grave danger as it took on water. After two hours of unsuccessful notifications to the authorities, the 'Aita Mari' located the rubber dinghy, whose position had previously been overflown by a Frontex aircraft. During the rescue operation, a second wooden boat with 45 people on board appeared in the area. While the 41 people were being transferred from this second boat to the 'Aita Mari', the remaining four started their engines and left the scene. The Italian authorities have designated the port of Catania for the disembarkation, scheduled for the early afternoon of April 14. However, current weather conditions, with wind gusts of 30 knots and a forecast of waves of 1.5 to 2 meters, predicedt a difficult journey for those on board. On morning, while the 'Aita Mari' was searching for another rubber dinghy, a Libyan Coast Guard patrol boat, identified as 648, approached at high speed. Libyan crew members pointed an automatic weapon at the 'Aita Mari' while shouting 'Go home!'" A few minutes later, the Aita Mari crew witnessed the interception of a rubber dinghy. The people on board will most likely be held in Libyan detention centers without guarantees of protection for their rights and physical integrity, as consistently reported by those who have survived such centers. Report with photo: https://www.naiz.eus/eu/info/noticia/20250413/aita-mari-rescata-a-125-personas-en-el-mediterraneo-segundo-salvamento-en-siete-dias

Vorbeifahrt Rheinufer 56567 Neuwied-Feldkirchen (Fahr am Rhein) Gegenüber dem Industriehafen Andernach 26.08.2020 - Imperial Gas 79 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuTSSugJmIk&feature=youtu.be 26.08.2020 - MISSOURI Cargo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgkscB-aLoY 26.08.2020 - WSP14 Wasserschutzpolizei https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjHD9XwE9X8 26.08.2020 - VOYAGE Tankschiff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m7xqvoroX8

The PORT OF KIEL has redesigned the port apron in Ostuferhafen, which is the freight and logistics centre on the fjord. Where once stood a grain silo, there is now an expanded pre-stacking and stand-by area of three hectares for trucks, trailers and pas-senger cars.The State Premier of Schleswig- Holstein, Daniel Günther, visited the Ostufer-hafen on 12th August to hand over the grant notice coming from the State Programme Economy for 5.44 million Euros: The project to redesign the port apron included dismantling three hall areas of the former grain silo, excavation and road works as well as drainage, lighting and security measures and the connection of the area to the infrastructure. Through the new and generous port apron it has been possible to merge formerly separated pre-stacking areas, shorten distances and gain more space for trucks, busses, trailers and passenger cars. Furthermore, IT solutions have been developed to accelerate the handling processes at the gate, which also allow truck drivers to reduce personal contact.Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director at the PORT OF KIEL: “Even under the current circumstances the Ostuferhafen operates in a reliable and safe way. The port of Kiel has proven its systemic importance regarding the transshipment of cross-border freight transport.”In the first seven months of the year 2.1 million tons of cargo have been tran-shipped via the Ostuferhafen (+ 1 %). Additional volumes have been transported by the ferries of the DFDS shipping company to the Baltic States or they have been delivered by the SCA-RoRo-freighters from Scandinavia. Not only general cargo and forest products are unloaded resp. transhipped in Ostuferhafen but also project and heavy cargo, scrap metal and agricul-tural products. The integrated passenger terminal to handle cruise vessels emphasizes the universal character of this port part.

The Russian captain of the 'Soling', Vladimir Motin, appeared before at London's Central Criminal Court, from prison via a video link on April 14. He is charged with gross negligence manslaughter over the death of a crew member. Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, a Filipino crew member on the 'Solong', is missing presumed dead. Mr Motin, from Primorsky, St Petersburg, spoke only to confirm his name during the brief hearing, and the case was adjourned until May 30 for a plea hearing at the same court. Report with picture: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2lz79q2y1vo

An interim Report on the alliision of the 'Solong' and the 'Stena Immaculate' has been Issued by the MAIB: Following the accident, the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch began a formal inquiry and this week issued an interim report that traces the 'Solong'’s course leading up to the collision, creates a timeline for the watchkeeping schedule aboard the ship and shows plainly that the 'Solong' was at fault. The MAIB’s ongoing investigation will focus on several critical aspects. It will encompass the navigation and watchkeeping practices on board both vessels; manning and fatigue management; the condition and maintenance of the vessels involved; the use of the offshore area as an anchorage for vessels waiting to enter the Humber Estuary; and the environmental conditions at the time. The 'Stena Immaculate' was pulled to the port of Great Yarmouth, being towed by the tugs 'Brage Viking' (IMO: 9475791) and 'Ormesby Cross' (IMO: 9206944) on the evening of April 11, and safely berthed in the foreport, assisted by the tugs 'Ormesby Cross' (IMO: 9206944), 'Sea Juliett' (IMO: 9778387), 'Camperdown' (IMO: 9974905) and 'Triton' (IMO: 9451537). The Coastguard had stated on April 10 that the 'Stena Immaculate' had been successfully unloaded. Report, photos and video: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg72150xvx8o https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3826817?navList=gallery&category=39&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7tbwxxvFSw

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The Port of Beirut (PoB) resumed partial operations on Aug 10 with the first two container ships berthing in the container terminal after the explosion which killed at least 160 persons, injured thousands and made hundred thousands homeless. Out of 16 cranes at the container terminal, 12 were currently operational. The port was gradually resuming operations to ensure the supply of all kinds of goods to citizens. Bassem Al Kaissi, the new Director of the PoB, said that the container terminal will be fully operational by Aug 14. Al Kaissi said that 420 containers were unloaded on Aug 10. The container terminal storage area has been cleaned up and restored to its state before the blast. The container terminal represents 80 percent of the overall cargo movement at the PoB. It is located one kilometer away from the blast epicenter. Container vessels can dock at quay number 16. Shipping movement at the PoB had already plunged by 75 percent due to the economic crisis and has reached 15 percent following the blast. Customs have opened offices in the PoB’s warehouse number 14 which was partially damaged. The customs have become able to carry out the inspection of merchandise- Customs duties are being temporarily paid at the Rafic Hariri International Airport. Tthe PoB is now handling only full containers as groupage consignment requires warehouses which don’t exist now. Amer Al Kaissi said groupage, which represents 15 percent of shipments at the PoB, will be diverted to the Port of Tripoli until the rebuilding of warehouses at the PoB is completed. The first two containerships to berth at the PoB after the blast were the 'Electra' (Gezairi Transport) and the 'Nicolas Delmas' (CMA CGM). The 'Electra', which was carrying 400 containers, was diverted to Tripoli where there was a license to operate but the company insisted to unload it in Beirut when it was told that the PoB has resumed operation. The CMA CGM Group and CEVA Logistics said they are fully operational and ensuring business continuity to serve their customers. The Group has redeployed its employees in its two back-up sites in Beirut Digital District and reinforced its presence in Tripoli. Part of CMA CGM’s vessels has been temporarily directed to Tripoli. Few shipping companies are authorized to operate in other ports such as Tripoli or Saida. BCTC, the Customs and the PoB’s authorities did their best to handle the clearing formalities despite the difficult working conditions. The general cargo area was fully operational on Aug 12 both for imports and exports. This includes wheat and other grains as well as construction steel bars. The cost of rebuilding the port is estimated at around $1 billion.