Port of Tyne crane collapse follows two-ship collision

A collision involving a wind turbine installation vessel has brought down a gantry crane onto a containership at the port of Tyne in northeast England, leaving one person injured. The incident occurred shortly after 1pm on Sunday as Cadeler’s WIND ORCA was leaving its berth at the port’s offshore wind staging facility. The installation vessel is reported to have struck the moored feeder containership BG ORANGE, causing a quayside gantry crane to collapse across the boxship. Images from the scene show the crane’s boom resting over the vessel’s accommodation block, with several containers appearing to have been displaced. A major emergency response was launched involving police, fire crews, three ambulances, hazardous-area response teams and air ambulance personnel. 

The Danish-flagged WIND ORCA returned to the Tyne Renewables Quay following the incident, while the BG ORANGEremained at the port’s container terminal. The Port of Tyne’s vessel movement records list both ships at the port on Monday. The Madeira-flagged BG ORANGE, operated by Rotterdam-based BG Freight Line, trades in the company’s shortsea and feeder network connecting ports in the UK, Ireland and continental Europe.

The Port of Tyne said a full investigation had begun. 

Source: Maasmond Maritime.        Photo : David A. Bowley.