The recent incident of a container ship near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in New York losing propulsion power has caused concern, particularly after a similar incident occurred in Baltimore where a bridge collapsed following a ship with lost power. The M/V APL Qingdao, owned and operated by French shipping company CMA CGM, regained control after losing propulsion but the event left officials on edge.
The incident in Baltimore that happened less than two weeks ago has once again brought attention to the dangers associated with ships losing control near critical infrastructure. The Coast Guard was alerted and helped the 89,000-ton container ship to safely anchor outside of the navigable channel near the Verrazano Bridge.
CMA CGM operates a large fleet of vessels and shipping lines worldwide and incidents like this are a cause for concern. The company has not yet made any comments about the incident, while representatives from the New York Port Authority and the Coast Guard have also remained silent. With safety being a top priority, these incidents serve as a reminder of the importance of proper maintenance and protocols in place to prevent accidents that could have devastating consequences.
