Cargo Ship Bound for China Collides with Cheonsa Bridge in Sinan

Mokpo Coast Guard Confirms No Casualties

At around 6:46 a.m. on the 11th, a 2,500-ton Palau-flagged cargo ship departing from Mokpo, Jeollanam-do, heading to China, collided with a pier of the Cheonsa Bridge. The photo shows the damaged pier of the Cheonsa Bridge. Provided by Mokpo Coast Guard.

An accident occurred in which a foreign-flagged cargo ship bound for China collided with the Cheonsa Bridge in Sinan, Jeollanam-do.

According to the Mokpo Coast Guard on January 11, at around 6:46 a.m., a 2,500-ton Palau-flagged cargo ship (with a total of 13 Vietnamese nationals on board), which had departed from Mokpo, Jeollanam-do and was heading to China, made contact with a pier of the Cheonsa Bridge in Sinan County, Jeollanam-do.

The accident was discovered when the Mokpo Vessel Traffic Service Center (Mokpo VTS) detected a vessel making a sudden course change near the Cheonsa Bridge shipping lane. Upon checking, they found that the vessel had made contact with a pier of the Cheonsa Bridge and reported the incident to the Mokpo Coast Guard situation room.

The Mokpo Coast Guard dispatched coastal rescue boats from nearby stations, the West Sea Special Rescue Unit, and patrol vessels to the scene. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported.

However, the accident caused a breach approximately 3 meters wide and 1.5 meters high in the central starboard side of the cargo ship. After inspecting the interior of the vessel with the chief engineer, it was confirmed that there was no flooding or direct internal damage.

Alcohol tests were conducted on the ship's captain, navigation officer, and helmsman, and no one was found to be under the influence of alcohol. The vessel is currently anchored at a mooring site under its own power.

The Coast Guard has confirmed traces of contact on both the cargo ship and the Cheonsa Bridge pier and plans to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the accident and any possible negligence.