Local media reported on July 21st the first accident at the new Panama Canal few days before completing its first month of operation. Specifically, the COSCO’s first vessel to transit the expanded canal made contact with the wall while traversing new Agua Clara locks.
COSCO’s boxship XIN FEI ZHOU allided with the wall of a new dock Agua Clara on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal on July 21, while transiting from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
Vessel suffered several meters long gash above waterline.
Dock according to officials, suffered slight damage, and remained operative.
According to the AIS data, the traffic wasn’t affected.
In May, ITF launched a study raising considerable safety concerns with respect to the Expanded Panama Canal’s new locks.
