Last Thursday, 4 May, while berthing at Terminal 1 in Jebel Ali Port, Dubai, the CMA CGM Centaurus containership of 11,388 TEU capacity collided with the quay wall striking the leg of an STS crane causing it to fall and injuring 10 people. A second crane was also shifted off its rails during the incident but remained upright and stable.
According to the statement of DP World, the operator of Jebel Ali Port, safety teams of the head office and of the terminal, in cooperation with external emergency response services, reacted immediately to the incident. The area was evacuated and an exclusion zone created. Safety drones were also deployed to survey the area, locate anyone in need of medical assistance and to ensure the safety of the responding crews.
The incident resulted in one moderate and nine minor injuries, but thankfully no fatalities. Medical treatment for all minor injuries was received at the DP World Medical Clinic at the terminal, while the gentleman with the moderate injury, a fractured arm and leg, was taken to hospital and is currently in a stable condition.
The terminal operator currently investigates the cause of the incident and undertakes all necessary measures to minimise disruption of service to the customers.
DP World management team comments that the collapsed quay crane will be removed following all necessary safety procedures once the investigation has been completed. The second crane is being assessed for structural integrity and not in use until further notice.
According to sources, the destroyed crane had been in operation for just six months.
As of yesterday, CMA CGM Centaurus was heading for Dammam Port.
Jebel Ali Port, DP World’s flagship facility, is the largest marine terminal in the Middle East and the 9th largest container port in the world, handling about 15 mln TEU annually. Its 23 container berths are equipped with 78 cranes and able to accommodate the world’s largest containerships. The largest vessel handled by the Jebel Ali Container Terminal is CMA CGM Marco Polo of 16,020 TEU capacity, 396m LOA in January 2013. Expansions currently underway at the port will bring its total handling capacity to 22.1 mln TEU by 2018.