On 12 March the oil tanker Olavo Bilac lost control of its rudder and collided with three navy patrol boats at the Port of Santos, near São Paulo.
The incident occurred around 11:20 PM local time while the tanker was maneuvering in the port. As a result, the Olavo Bilac struck one navy vessel, pushing it into two others that were docked at the time. Online footage captured the moment the Olavo Bilac crashed into the pier before striking the patrol boats.
Acidente no Porto de Santos.
Navio colide com cais e navios da Marinha.
Acidente ocorreu após um problema no leme do navio petroleiro Olavo Bilac, que transportava 50 mil toneladas de óleo combustível. pic.twitter.com/GJksPvUtSr
— Amazoni@zul (@AmazoniaAzulBR) March 13, 2025
As a result, one navy officer sustained minor injuries and received medical treatment but was released shortly after. Following the collision, the tanker was assisted by tugboats and was brought back to the Alemoa 1 pier.
On 13 March, the Port Authority conducted an inspection of the Olavo Bilac and found significant scraping on the hull but no signs of an oil spill or environmental pollution.
