Containers Lost After Ship Collision on Indonesia’s Mahakam River

MV Spil Ratna MV Meratus Kolawa Mahakam River

Credit: momotaropnk / ShipSpotting

Several containers were lost overboard after a collision between container ship MV Spil Ratna and cargo vessel MV Meratus Kolawa on 13 May in Indonesia’s Mahakam River, The Maritime Telegraph reports.

The impact occurred in a narrow section of the river near Samarinda, damaging both vessels and knocking eight containers into the water. The drifting cargo created a navigation hazard on this busy inland shipping route.

Local port authorities deployed teams to recover the containers and warned river traffic to proceed with caution. No injuries or pollution have been reported. Investigators are still determining the cause of the collision, with early focus on possible navigational error or operational failure in the restricted channel.

The Mahakam River is a key logistics corridor in East Kalimantan, but its narrow, current-affected waters continue to pose risks for vessel traffic.

Global News

Maritime incident

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