Ships Collide as Super Storm Hits Port Botany

A super storm that hit Sydney Tuesday night wrought havoc on the city’s commercial Port Botany, cutting the mooring of Hapag-Lloyd’s  67,ooo tonne container ship the Kiel Express, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The drifting ship, propelled by winds reaching 70 miles per hour, left a trail of destruction behind, cutting the mooring of the OOCL Hong Kong, and ultimately slamming into a stationary Safmarine ship, the Makutu.  The strong winds then turned the Kiel Express, causing a side-by-side collision with the 62,000 tonne Makutu.

The OOCL Hong Kong was anchored away from the docks, with the unsecured containers on board the vessel preventing the tug boat crews to tow it further out to sea.

The ships have reportedly suffered only surface damage. The port’s two cranes that had been hit in the process are also not extensively damaged, and are deemed operational.

The Botany Port plans to resume operations on Wednesday night.