Latest news with #maritimeSafety
RNZ News
a day ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Ship runs aground in Fiji - then its rescue vessel capsized
File photo of Gounder Fishing vessel. Photo: Facebook/Goundar Shipping Limited Fiji's Maritime Safety Authority has launched an investigation into Goundar Shipping Limited following two incidents involving its vessels. Late last month, one vessel ran aground on the reef of Ono-i-Lau, and villagers had to step in to ferry stranded passengers to nearby islands using small boats. On Monday (2/6) , the Lomaiviti Princess II was sent to assist with salvage operations of the grounded boat in Ono-i-Lau. But the rescue boat never made it as it capsized in Suva Harbour, where it remains on its side. The company's managing director George Goundar told local media "the mishap at Suva Harbour regarding the Lomaiviti Princess II was not the works of the company". He directed all questions to the Fiji Ports Cooperation. FBC News has reached out to the ports cooperation for comment, but the outlet reported the Maritime Safety Authority has refused to comment further on the matter . Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau said the matter is under investigation and a release will be issued after he receives an update on the matter. On 29 May, the company posted on social media about the first incident, saying "GSL Management would like to sincerely thank the people of Ono-i-Lau for your tremendous support following the mishap". "We acknowledge and appreciate your assistance in ensuring the passengers were safely brought ashore. "The vessel is now en route to Suva."
Fox News
28-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
Noem calls for the death penalty following maritime human smuggling attempt that left child dead
Homeland Security Secretary Kristin Noem called for the death penalty in the wake of a disastrous maritime human smuggling operation that left one child, and at least two others, dead. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California announced charges Tuesday against five illegals in an alleged human smuggling attempt gone wrong that resulted in at least three deaths, including a 14-year-old boy from India. According to the attorney's office, witnesses observed an overturned panga boat at a beach in Del Mar, California, on Monday. The statement said bystanders and San Diego lifeguards attempted rescue efforts, and law enforcement officials recovered three bodies, including a 14-year-old boy identified in court records as "P.P.B." The boy's mother and father and two others were rescued and are hospitalized. The father is in a coma. The deceased child's 10-year-old sister is still "missing at sea" and presumed dead. Two Mexican nationals, Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna, 30, and Jesus Juan Rodriguez Leyva, 36, were arrested at the beach and were charged with bringing in aliens resulting in death and bringing in aliens for financial gain. They face possible death sentences or life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the first charge and penalties of ten years in prison with a three-year mandatory minimum and a $250,000 fine for the second. Earlier in the evening Noem posted on X: "This tragic loss of life underscores the deadly reality of maritime human smuggling and why Congress authorized the death penalty when human smuggling results in a death. I am urging the Attorney General to prosecute the suspects to the fullest extent under the law." U.S. Border Patrol agents later identified two vehicles involved, apprehended the drivers and recovered eight of the remaining nine migrants missing from the boat, leaving only the 10-year-old child unaccounted for. The U.S. attorney's office charged the three Mexican nationals caught allegedly transporting the migrants — Melissa Jenelle Cota, 33, Gustavo Lara, 32, and Sergio Rojas-Fregosa, 31 — with transportation of illegal aliens. They face maximum sentences of ten years in prison and $500,000 fines. Rojas-Fregoso, identified as having previously been deported Dec. 19, 2023, is also facing an additional two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said "the drowning deaths of these children are a heartbreaking reminder of how little human traffickers care about the costs of their deadly business." Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge of HSI San Diego, said "yesterday's heartbreaking events are a stark reminder of the urgent need to dismantle these criminal networks driven by greed." "Human smuggling, regardless of the route, is not only illegal but extremely dangerous. Smugglers often treat people as disposable commodities, leading to tragic and sometimes deadly consequences, as we saw in this case," Gibson said. "The HSI, along with the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and other partners from the Marine Task Force, remains firmly committed to holding those responsible accountable for these senseless deaths."
Associated Press
27-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Geopolitical tensions lead to increasing risks for shipping sector globally
SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 27 May 2025 - The fast-changing geopolitical landscape is creating new risks and challenges for a shipping industry already juggling the energy transition and the legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Allianz Commercial's Safety and Shipping Review. The industry faces an increasingly volatile and complex operating environment, marked by attacks against shipping, vessel detentions, sanctions, as well as the fall-out from incidents involving damage to critical sub-sea cables. Furthermore, the ripple effect of increasing protectionism and tariffs threatens to remake supply chains and shake up established trade relations. Given 90% of international trade is transported across oceans, those developments are concerning, especially as the industry continues to see the potential for large claims from traditional risks such as fires, collisions and groundings, which are still the main drivers for total losses of large vessels. However, there is also good news. The shipping industry has made significant improvements when it comes to maritime safety in recent years. During the 1990s the global fleet was losing 200+ vessels a year. This total had halved 10 years ago and is now down to a record low of 27 as of the end of 2024 (from 35 in 2023). 'The relevance of political risk and conflict as a potential cause of maritime loss is increasing with heightened geopolitical tensions. Total losses from traditional causes may have reduced over time, but we could be in a position where this positive trend is potentially offset by war and other political-related exposures. As an industry, we are in a better position with regards to traditional risks, but there is a renewed focus on geopolitical risks,' says Captain Rahul Khanna, Global Head of Marine Risk Consulting, Allianz Commercial. US-China trade conflict and growing shadow fleet bring uncertainty and challenges China has been the biggest target of the protectionist measures of the US administration with tariffs reaching 145%, before both countries agreed to reduce them for 90 days. Developments have significantly impacted global maritime trade with approximately 18% of it subject to tariffs as of mid-April 2025, compared with 4% in early March, and dramatic declines in shipments reported in the immediate aftermath of the 'Liberation Day' announcements. While the future of US trade-focused policies remains uncertain, another phenomenon is posing an increasing challenge for the maritime and insurance industries: the shadow fleet. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the size of the shadow fleet has grown significantly. Today, around 17% of the world tanker fleet is thought to belong to the shadow fleet: estimates indicate there are close to 600 tankers trading Russian oil alone. Shadow fleet vessels have been involved in tens of incidents around the world including fires, collisions and oil spills. 'Although recent sanctions are making it harder for these vessels to trade, the shadow fleet continues to pose a serious risk to maritime safety and the environment, as many are likely to be older vessels that are poorly maintained and inadequately insured. In case of an oil spill involving a shadow fleet tanker, cleanup costs could be as much as US$1.6bn,' says Justus Heinrich, Global Product Leader, Marine Hull, Allianz Commercial. Red Sea rerouting: older vessels and riskier routes in addition to higher costs With ongoing geopolitical volatility in the Middle East, many ship operators have rerouted vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding time and cost to transits between Asia and Europe. For example, this rerouting adds around $1mn in costs and at least 10 days to a typical transit between China and Europe. According to estimates, cargo volumes in the strait had fallen by two-thirds by September 2024, with rerouting costing the global economy some US$200bn that year. The quality and safety of vessels may also be impacted as a result of this rerouting. 'With container capacity under pressure, some shipowners have gone out to the market to meet supply, purchasing tonnage that is often older and second best. This has helped push up values and seen vessels scheduled for scrap and older tonnage stay in the market longer. The concern is that when called back into service, these vessels may not be in the best state to operate safely on longer sea routes and in rough weather,' says Captain Nitin Chopra, Senior Marine Risk Consultant, Allianz Commercial Asia. Fires and mis-declared cargo remain a top concern for large vessels Large vessel fires are still a major concern for hull and cargo insurers. There were seven total losses reported across all vessel types during 2024, the same number as a year earlier. The number of incidents overall was up year-on-year to a decade high of 250, again across all vessel types. Around 30% of these fire incidents occurred on either container, cargo or roll-on roll-off vessels (ro-ros) (69). More than 100 total losses of vessels have been caused by fires in the past decade. Efforts to mitigate these risks are underway, with regulatory changes and technological advancements aimed at addressing mis-declared cargo, a primary contributor to such fires. This is critical as the electrification of the global economy poses further challenges given the growing number of lithium-ion batteries and battery energy storage systems being transported. 'There is little doubt the shipping industry is becoming more resilient against the risks associated with large vessels, although we can by no means say they are under control. However, only 27 total losses during 2024 underlines the positive trend. To put this into perspective: there are over 100,000 ships (100GT+) in the global fleet. However, uncertainty and multiple risks persist. Cyber-attacks and GPS interferences are increasing. Ceasefires have raised hopes, but the Red Sea security threat and supply chain disruption will likely remain. Meanwhile, the green transition requires much work. The coming years will be decisive and will determine the path of the sector and global trade,' explains Captain Rahul Khanna, Global Head of Marine Risk Consulting, Allianz Commercial. Hashtag: #shipping #allianzcommercial The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Allianz Commercial Allianz Commercial is the center of expertise and global line of Allianz Group for insuring mid-sized businesses, large enterprises and specialist risks. Among our customers are the world's largest consumer brands, financial institutions and industry players, the global aviation and shipping industry as well as family-owned and medium enterprises which are the backbone of the economy. We also cover unique risks such as offshore wind parks, infrastructure projects or film productions. Powered by the employees, financial strength, and network of the world's #1 insurance brand, we work together to help our customers prepare for what's ahead: They trust us in providing a wide range of traditional and alternative risk transfer solutions, outstanding risk consulting and Multinational services as well as seamless claims handling. Allianz Commercial brings together the large corporate insurance business of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) and the commercial insurance business of national Allianz Property & Casualty entities serving mid-sized companies. We are present in over 200 countries and territories either through our own teams or the Allianz Group network and partners. In 2024, the integrated business of Allianz Commercial generated around €18 billion in gross premium globally.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man charged over cargo ship that crashed into front garden
A man has been charged after a cargo ship ran aground in a front garden as the homeowner was sleeping indoors. Remarkable pictures showed just how close the 135m-long vessel came to crashing into Johan Helberg's house near Trondheim, Norway, on Thursday. Police launched an investigation into the incident and have charged a Ukrainian man in his 30s who was serving as second officer aboard the vessel. He was one of 16 people on the ship, and has been charged with negligent navigation. Like Mr Helberg, the officer was asleep. "The individual charged was the officer on watch at the time of the incident," said a police statement. "During questioning, he stated that he fell asleep while on duty alone, which led to the vessel running aground." Read more from Sky News: Police are continuing to investigate whether rules regarding working and resting hours were adhered to on the ship. No injuries were reported as a result of the crash, and authorities are working on relocating the vessel.
Washington Post
21-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Ships have been hitting the Brooklyn Bridge for nearly 150 years
NEW YORK — A Mexican navy tall ship's fatal collision with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday highlighted a hazard that has worried seafarers for nearly 150 years. Even before construction on the bridge was finished in the late 19th century, the topmast of a passing U.S. Navy ship hit the span's wires — and vessels continued to clip the iconic New York City structure for many years.
