AmericasOperations
8,500 teu ship suffers gash while transiting expanded Panama Canal
China Cosco Shipping now holds two records when it comes to transiting the newly expanded Panama Canal. Not only can it boast to being the first shipping line to do so towards the end of last month, it is now the first company to suffer an accident in the locks.
The 8,500 teu Xin Fei Zhou containership hit a wall by the new locks at Agua Clara on the Atlantic side of the canal on Thursday afternoon. The Panama Canal Authority is investigating the incident and has said this is the first accident to have happened along the new locks.
The ship suffered a severe gash, while the canal wall had minor damage, however traffic was not affected. The Xin Fei Zhou is now being inspected.