3rd engShip Collisions
Author: Ricky
Sea Traffic & Ship Collision
Sea traffic and routes are no longer what they used to be. The rush of high tech ships moving at high speeds is increasing on the sea routes. The loads on the ships and the sizes are expanding with every passing day. All this has resulted in an increase in the number of accidents or collisions occurring at sea. A ship may experience anything from a minor to a major accident in its life time.
The term maritime ship collision refers to occurrence of a maritime accident. The ship may crash into a still or a floating object. The accident at sea may be:•Between a ship and a ship•Between a ship and any other floating object•Between a ship and a submarine
•Between a ship and a stationery object
The biggest example of a maritime ship collision that we across is the collision of the Titanic with an iceberg. A ship collision has material effects on human and marine life as seen in the case of Exxon Disaster. The energy that is generated as a result of a collision is phenomenal. The reason for the same is the large loads and high speeds of the vessels.
Ship Collision acquire importance for the following reasons:•The accidents can and do result in loss of human life. At times the loss is high. In the collision of the Titanic more than 1500 people lost their lives•The accidents have an impact on the environment in the form of oil spills•The accidents have financial consequences for the ship owners, insurance companies, communities residing in and around the area. In the case of oil spills, the fisheries business running in the area is greatly affected•Accidents result in damage to coastal and off shore structures.
Causes of Ship CollisionsCollision like any other accident primarily occurs due to human error or technical faults. Improper maneuvering of the vessel is an example of a human error. A technical fault like a faulty propulsion system or rudder could also result in an accident. Major Maritime Collisions
Some of the major accidents happening during peace time are:
•The Doña Paz, a Phillipines vessel collided with a oil tanker. The result was a fire which left an estimated 4341 people dead. The accident occurred in the December of 1987.
•Another major accident that is available on records had occurred in 1948 when SS Kiangya, a passenger ship blew up and sank in the Huangpu River. The suspected cause of the accident was the ship hitting a mine left behind by the Japanese Army during the World War II.
Anywhere between 2750 to 3920 people were suspected as dead and around 700 to 1000 people were rescued.
•The sinking of the Titanic a passenger liner has never left the limelight. The cause of the ship sinking was a collision with an iceberg.
•The most recent collision that has been reported is the collision of PlusShip on the Mississippi River. More than 400,000 gallons of oil is spilled between New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico. The oil spill is a cause of concern not only as an environmental hazard but also for causing a shortage of drinking water in the New Orleans area.
