on 24 Mar 2023
The 74,000-ton freighter crashed into Kaohsiung Port head-on
A shocking video shared on social media this week shows a 74,000-ton freighter crashing into the Taiwanese port of Kaohsiung head-on.
Media reports and reports from Taiwan’s Maritime and Port Bureau have alleged the ship’s pilot was intoxicated at the time of the collision.
The 80,000 dwt, 997-foot Hyundai Tokyo was arriving into Taiwan from Ningbo, China at the Port of Kaohsiung on March 20 when the harbour master’s office was reportedly alerted that the vessel was travelling at excess speeds of over six knots.
While multiple attempts to call the pilot were made, there was no reply — and the vessel continued to approach the concrete berth at high speeds. Intead of turning as planned, the ship instead crashed head-on into the berth.
Tests showed that the pilot was above legal alcohol limits, with reports in Taiwanese media claiming he had admitted going drinking the night before the crash, reporting to work at 6am.
Cracks in the berth concrete caused by the collision. Photo: Taiwan Maritime and Port Bureau
While minimum damage has been reported to the vessel, the port authority has released photos of large cracks in the concrete, which it said were caused by the freighter crashing into the Taiwanese port of Kaohsiung.