Foreign ship carrying 170,000 tons of Australian ore arrested in Vietnam after pier crash

A Marshall Islands-flagged ship carrying more than 170,000 tons of iron ore has been arrested for 30 days by a court in central Vietnam after crashing into a pier at steelmaker Hoa Phat's Dung Quat port.

The Quang Ngai Maritime Port Authority said on Oct. 22 it was enforcing the arrest of the Aquacharm, ordered a day earlier by Quang Ngai's Regional People's Court No. 2 to resolve a civil dispute.

The 292-meter bulk carrier arrived in Dung Quat on Oct. 14 with 170,586 tons of iron ore from Port Hedland in Australia and 22 crew members from the Philippines, South Korea and Japan.

On Oct. 18, while a maritime pilot and three tugboats were guiding it into berth No. 10, the ship struck Hoa Phat Dung Quat's dedicated pier.

No one was hurt and no oil spilled, but the collision left a tear of about 5 m in the ship's bow and damaged both sides of its hull. The pier was also damaged and is awaiting a damage assessment.

The damaged pier at Hoa Phat’s Dung Quat port in central Vietnam after the Aquacharm crashed into it on Oct. 18. Photo by Minh Thao

Initial information from the ship's agent and captain suggests the incident may be linked to the pilot losing control of the ship's speed because of a communication error, even though the speed had been reported several times. Authorities are still determining the exact cause.

Le Van Luong, director of the Quang Ngai Maritime Port Authority, said the ship may not leave the port waters under the authority's management while it is under arrest, and must keep a full crew on board and maintain watches.

Under Vietnam's Maritime Code, a court in the area of the port where a ship is operating can order its arrest to secure a claim, enforce a civil judgment or provide judicial assistance. The order is then sent to the maritime port authority to carry out.

Without a court order, a port authority can hold a ship for only five days after an accident, or 10 days with an extension from national maritime regulators.

Hoa Phat, Vietnam's largest steelmaker, is the party that suffered the pier damage and related losses, and it requested the arrest. It has advanced more than VND2 billion (US$77,000) to the court, covering a security deposit and the arrest fee.