Lessons learned
The Hong Kong Marine Department has issued information note todraw the attention of the operators to the safety precautions on loading cargo elements which are prone to liquefaction, such as nickel ore.
The Incident
On 14 August 2013, while a Hong Kong registered ship was carrying a full cargo of nickel ore in bulk from Indonesia to China, she listed, capsized and sank in an anchorage area of Zhuhai, China after encountering a super typhoon. Fortunately, all crewmembers were rescued.
Investigation into the incident identified that the probable cause of the incident was a cargo shift caused by liquefaction of the nickel ore. The shift of nickel ore in the holds of the ship caused a list to the ship. The master mistakenly pumped water to the wrong ballast tank, which worsened the situation. The angle of list progressively increased and caused the ship to capsize and sink under the severe weather condition.
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Lessons Learnt The lessons learnt from this incident are:
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Source: The Hong Kong Marine Department
