TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Hong Kong-flagged container ship owned by the Taiwanese Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation caused a major accident on Saturday (March 16) while docking at the Evyap Port east of Istanbul, Turkey.
In a video of the incident, the 368-meter-long vessel, the YM Witness, can be seen approaching a docking area at a sharp angle where four large cranes stood ready to unload shipping containers. The wide deck of the YM Witness collided with one of the cranes as it pulled into to dock, causing three of the four cranes to topple over.
According to the Maritime Executive, at least one person operating a crane at the time was seriously injured. Several cargo containers were also knocked into the water.
Police and firefighters were dispatched to the scene to help those in danger and to investigate the incident. The owner of the vessel, Yang Ming Shipping, will likely be held responsible for financial damages caused by the YM Witness.
The vessel was being operated along the company’s MD3 eastbound Mediterranean shipping route. Businesses whose merchandise might be impacted by delays caused by the incident will be contacted by the Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation, per UDN.
Footage of the incident can be seen below.