Damaged containers sit on the deck of the motor vessel Nederland near the Bayport Ship Channel and Houston Ship Channel intersection near light 75, Oct. 29, 2011.Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston received a report that the motor vessel Nederland, a 782-foot containership, and the motor vessel Elka Apollon, a 799-foot chemical tanker, collided.Official U.S. Coast Guard photo.
Two vessels collided in the Houston Ship Channel on Saturday, causing damage to both and a small hydraulic fuel leak.
The Coast Guard responded to the collision around 9:45am Saturday.
They say a container ship and chemical tanker ran into one another at the Bayport Ship Channel and Houston Ship Channel intersection near light 75.
Due to the collision, three containers fell from motor vessel MSC Nederland -- a 782-foot containership -- onto the deck of the Elka Apollon, a 799-foot chemical tanker.
One of the containers, containing tractor equipment, leaked a small amount of hydraulic fluid onto the deck.
No injuries were reported and the ship channels remained open to traffic.
The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident and working with vessel owners to come up with a salvage plan.
Damaged containers sit on the deck of the motor vessel Nederland near the Bayport Ship Channel and Houston Ship Channel intersection near light 75, Oct. 29, 2011.Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston received a report that the motor vessel Nederland, a 782-foot containership, and the motor vessel Elka Apollon, a 799-foot chemical tanker, collided.Official U.S. Coast Guard photo.
Coast Guard responding
The Coast Guard is responding to a collision between a container ship and chemical tanker at the Bayport Ship Channel and Houston Ship Channel intersection near light 75, Saturday.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston received a report at approximately 9:47 a.m., that the motor vessel Nederland, a 782-foot containership, collided with the motor vessel Elka Apollon, a 799-foot chemical tanker.
Due to the collision, three containers fell from the Nederland onto the deck of the Elka Apollon. One of the containers, containing tractor equipment, is currently leaking a small amount of hydraulic fluid onto the deck.
The ship channels are still open to traffic at this time.
There are no reported injuries and the Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident.
The Coast Guard and the vessel operator/owners are currently working on a salvage plan.
“Coast Guard efforts are presently focused on returning these vessels to safe operations as soon as possible and maintaining safe and efficient operations on the Houston Ship Channel,” said Capt. Hal Pitts, deputy commander at Sector Houston-Galveston.