‘Supercell’ storm sends MSC Ines aground, blocking channel into Port of Durban

A violent storm has closed the Port of Durban and sent three large vessels and many smaller ships adrift or grounded in the harbor, according to Durban’s Transnet National Port Authority.    Three commercial vessels, along with countless yachs and smaller boats, broke their moorings and were sent adrift or were grounded during a “supercell” storm in South Africa.
   One of the three large vessels, the containership MSC Ines, ran aground and blocked the Port of Durban channel entrance, according to Durban’s Transnet National Port Authority (TNPA). As a result, the port has been closed to vessel and rail traffic to ensure cargo and personnel safety. 
   “We confirm that all vessel movements have been suspended in the Port of Durban due to inclement weather,” TNPA said in a statement. “The inclement weather is also expected to disrupt operations at the Port of Richards Bay. Our marine services team and tugboats are assisting with several emergencies including the grounding of three vessels. We are still in the process of determining damage to port infrastructure.”
   Several hours after their original statement, TNPA was able to refloat the MSC Ines, along with a second and third vessel shortly after. TNPA was also able to gather containers that had blown into the bay.
   The port authority also invoked a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) at the port to monitor the situation on a 24-hour basis until operations are restored.
   “We have assured all stakeholders of our urgent attention and allocation of resources to address these challenges. We will continue to monitor the situation closely via Port Control and the Harbor Masters’ offices, and will keep stakeholders updated,” TNPA stated.
   According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting, the 9,200-TEU MSC Ines currently serves on MSC’s Africa Express loop, along with 10 other vessels with an average capacity of 10,403 TEUs. The port rotation for the service is Xingang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Shekou, Singapore, Colombo, Lome, Durban, Port Louis, Colombo, Singapore and back to Xingang.