South Korean port digs out after massive storm

South Korean port digs out after massive storm    The typhoon that hit South Korea two weeks ago appears to have done more damage to ports and transportation infrastructure than Hurricane Isabel that came ashore on the U.S. East Coast this month.
   Typhoon Maemi, which is being blamed for more than 75 deaths, leveled 11 behemoth cargo cranes and tossed containers everywhere at the Port of Pusan, according to the Associated Press. South Korean officials consider the Sept. 13 storm, with of up to 135 miles per hour, the most powerful in the country's history.
   ShinGamman terminal lost six of seven cranes in the storm and port officials are predicting cargo delays may last until the end of the year until all repairs can be made, forwarder Expeditors International said in a notice to customers. Vessels that were scheduled to berth at ShinGamman will now unload at nearby terminals and small feeder vessels are being routed to nearby wharfs and ports.
   Jasungdae terminal has three of five berths operating normally, despite that two of its 12 gantry cranes were overturned and another three were derailed, Expeditors reported. Vessel backups could occur due to the lack of available terminal space and equipment to handle heavy container traffic.
   The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries estimated that 20 percent of Pusan's port capacity was incapacitated by Typhoon Maemi. Removal of the cranes is expected to take 45 days.
   Expeditors cited a Korean Shipping Gazette report that ShinGamman terminal will install three gantry cranes at adjacent Gwangyang port and that Jasungdae terminal will borrow one crane from Gamman.