Maritime

how-maersk-s-new-fi2-maritime-service-will-impact-india-china-trade

Wed May 27 21:07:29 IST 2026

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Wed May 27 14:06:27 IST 2026

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Wed May 27 11:36:19 IST 2026

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Tue May 26 14:47:52 IST 2026

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Tue May 26 13:09:12 IST 2026

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Tue May 26 00:05:27 IST 2026

nigeria-ship-collision-all-14-crew-members-confirmed-safe-after-major-river-accident-oil-spill

Sun May 24 23:02:07 IST 2026

All 14 crew members aboard the Maersk Valparaiso (IMO: 9433054) were confirmed to be safe on Sunday after the container ship's collision with an oil products tanker on May 20 in Nigeria's Onne Bonny River.

This comes after at least five people were injured aboard the Nigerian-flagged tanker, Lady Martina (IMO: 5104033) after the collision, which led to the container ship blocking access to the river, and preventing ship movements at Port Harcourt and the Onne Port.

With this maritime collision being the second in just two days, the Philippines' Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) issued a stern reminder to maritime stakeholders to ensure the safety of vessels carrying Filipino seafarers.

"The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NMASA) activated its emergency response procedures in coordination with the pilot and other authorities," the DMW wrote in a Facebook post, identifying all the evacuated crew members of the Maersk Valparaiso as Filipino.

The May 20 collision

The collision took place at around 11 AM (local time) on May 20,while the Singapore-flagged container ship—which was coming from the Abidjan Port in Côte d'Ivoire—was preparing to dock at the West Africa Container Terminal of the Onne Port.

It had been carrying approximately 717 containers bound for the terminal, which is operated by Maersk’s APM Terminals.

As per local media reports, the tanker, which was emerging from the Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone, collided with the Maersk Valparaiso while the latter was being manoeuvred to dock at Berth 4 of the port.

This led to the tanker running aground (getting stuck in shallow waters), while the container ship also got “stuck in the mud” in the river.

What followed was an oil spill and five crew members aboard the Lady Martina suffering injuries, which led to Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) deploying a patrol board to evacuate rush the injured to safety at the earliest.

As of May 24, AIS data for the container ship shows that it was "moored", days after the collision caused it to block the river, and, in turn, the port's operations as well.

why-7-foreign-crew-members-of-msc-elsa-3-shipwreck-remain-stranded-in-kerala

Sat May 23 20:35:46 IST 2026

A year after the container ship MSC Elsa 3 (IMO: 9123221) sank off the coast of Kerala, seven of its foreign crew members have urged the High Court to permit them to return to their home countries.

These seven crew members are part of a larger group of 24, who had been evacuated from the MSC Elsa 3 by the Indian Coast Guard after it sank about 14.6 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala after severely listing (tilting to one side due to the entry of water inside the vessel) in May 2025.

The ship's Master, Chief Officer, Chief Engineer, Second Engineer, and other crew members hailing from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Philippines have now moved the High Court, alleging that they have been illegally detained in India for over a year in connection with a criminal case linked with the shipwreck.

The matter was briefly heard by Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, who issued a notice seeking responses from the Centre and the state government.

The matter will be further heard on May 29, as per a Bar and Bench report.

**The MSC Elsa 3 shipwreck**

The shipwreck of the Liberian-flagged container ship on its journey from the Vizhinjam Port to the Cochin Port caused major legal troubles due to the nature of the environmental damage it caused to the region.

A number of its containers—many with hazardous materials like furnace oil and diesel—were removed from its shipwreck in October that year.

This, in turn, had a severe impact on fishing communities in the region, who joined the legal battle against the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which managed the MSC Elsa 3.

At the time, the Mercantile Marine Department (MMD), Kochi, had issued a notice preventing all 24 crew members from leaving Kochi without written permission.

The Coastal Police also registered an FIR under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 in connection with the tragedy.

In that regard, the petitioners have questioned why they were kept in India for so long, claiming that they had cooperated with the investigation, and that none of them had been individually named as the accused in the FIR.

They also claimed that the FIR only contained a minor reference to the Master of the ship, and also highlighted a major opportunity they had in August 2025 to leave the country, which they were denied.

In August 2025, the Director General of Shipping (DGS) had allowed 15 members to return to their home countries but excluded the petitioners.

They further alleged that despite multiple letters and emails seeking release on humanitarian grounds, they were not allowed to leave, as the authorities continued to insist the crew members were required to stay in India for the case.

Alleging violations of Article 14 (right to equality) and 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Indian Constitution, the petitioners have now moved the High Court to clear their names and the path for them to leave the country.

after-vizhinjam-war-led-cargo-congestion-chokes-jawaharlal-nehru-port-here-is-how-the-shipping-ministry-responded

Sat May 23 00:00:35 IST 2026

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Thu May 21 16:52:27 IST 2026