Spanish maritime authorities in the Canary Islands chased down a detained tug that attempted to leave the port of Las Palmas without permission. The tug Sylvia M, which was towing the offshore vessel K-Marine IV, tried to depart despite a standing detention order, reported by Maritime Executive.
A major search and rescue operation is underway off the coast of South Africa after a tugboat sank in rough seas, leaving five crewmembers missing. Two merchant vessels and a fishing boat are assisting the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) in the operation.
A fatal collision between the cargo vessel Shinsei Maru and the fishing boat Kosei Maru has left two fishermen dead off the coast of Toba City, according to The Maritime Telegraph. The incident adds to growing safety concerns in Japan’s congested coastal shipping lanes.
A fatal cruise ship fire off Singapore claimed the life of one crew member on February 20, The Maritime Telegraph reports. The blaze broke out around 04:00 on deck nine of the Liberia-flagged MV World Legacy, prompting a full-scale emergency response and evacuation.
A deadly engine room fire aboard the Singapore-flagged bulk carrier Mandy has killed two crew members and sent a third to hospital, Splash 247 reports.
DP World has dismissed its chairman and chief executive Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem after documents released by the US Department of Justice cited his association with Jeffrey Epstein, The Maritime Telegraph claims. The move signals a sharp leadership change at the Dubai-headquartered ports and logistics group.
A maritime accident involving a chemical tanker and a fishing vessel near Kobe occurred on February 11, 2026, The Maritime Telegraph reports, citing the Japan Coast Guard. The vessels made contact east of the Akashi Strait, close to the entrance routes to Kobe Harbor, leaving one fisherman injured.
A Panamanian-flagged container ship sank off the coast of Phuket on February 7, prompting a rapid rescue operation by the Royal Thai Navy and local authorities. All 16 crewmembers were safely evacuated shortly before the vessel went under, avoiding casualties in what could have become a major maritime disaster.
A commercial chemical tanker has rescued 27 seafarers after a tuna fishing vessel caught fire and sank in the Eastern Pacific, highlighting the lifesaving role of merchant ships in open-ocean rescues, The Maritime Telegraph reports.
A fire in the engine room of the Ro-Ro ferry Maria Felisa injured three crew members while the vessel was sailing through the Surigao Strait in the southern Philippines, reports The Maritime Telegraph. The incident forced the ferry to stop mid-voyage and rely on external assistance, highlighting once again the risks faced by seafarers during onboard emergencies.
Two crew members are still missing after the bulk carrier Changxin 198 capsized and sank off the western coast of Hainan Island, underscoring ongoing safety risks for bulk carriers operating in severe weather. The Maritime Telegraph reports that the incident occurred in the Gulf of Tonkin on 31 January 2026.
A crew member from the tanker Songa Pearl remains missing after falling overboard in the Elbe estuary, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation that was later suspended. The incident was reported by The Maritime Telegraph.
Russian captain Vladimir Motin faces gross negligent manslaughter charges after the cargo ship Solong collided with the anchored tanker Stena Immaculate near the Humber Estuary on March 10, 2025, causing a fire that engulfed both vessels and leaving one Filipino sailor missing, as reported by Safety4Sea.
US forces have seized a seventh oil tanker connected to Venezuelan crude movements, tightening enforcement against sanctioned shipping in the Caribbean. The latest operation, reported by NextShip and confirmed by U.S.
A Hong Kong court has sentenced the captain of an oil tanker to 14 months in prison following a deadly collision with a local fishing boat, a case that has once again exposed serious navigational safety risks in busy coastal waters. The court ruling and key details of the proceedings were reported by NextShip.
A routine attempt to refloat a grounded bulk carrier off Taiwan’s east coast escalated into a wider maritime emergency when one of the assisting tugs also ran aground, prompting a helicopter evacuation, The Maritime Telegraph reports.
A sanctioned shadow fleet oil tanker has run aground in the Aegean Sea near Turkey, highlighting ongoing safety and compliance risks linked to Russia-related oil transportation. According to NextShip, the oil tanker Qendil, previously damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack, grounded close to the island of Bozcaada and prompted an emergency response by Turkish authorities.
A collision between two Nile river cruise vessels near Egypt’s Esna Lock on December 21 resulted in the death of a passenger, raising fresh concerns over safety on the busy Nile route between Luxor and Aswan. According to The Maritime Telegraph, the accident occurred in a narrow and heavily regulated stretch of the river used daily by multiple cruise ships.
According to The Maritime Telegraph, a ferry crossing the Strait of Gibraltar was forced to return to port after Storm Emilia generated violent seas, causing extensive vehicle damage onboard. The ro/ro ferry Ciudad de Mahon departed Algeciras late Saturday night for Ceuta, encountering far harsher conditions than expected.
The Portugal-flagged LPG carrier CGas Saturn was attacked by pirates off Equatorial Guinea, with at least nine crew members reportedly kidnapped, according to Splash 247. Some early reports suggested up to 12 kidnapped seafarers, but this figure has not been confirmed by the operator. The vessel was sailing toward Malabo when armed men boarded it. Four crew remained onboard, and one is believed to be injured.
A major cargo ship fire in Manila left three crew members injured, according to The Maritime Telegraph. The Philippine-flagged vessel Meridian Dos caught fire at Manila North Harbor on December 3 while preparing to depart with container cargo. Dense smoke reportedly rose from the lower decks shortly after 6:00 a.m., forcing authorities to initiate an urgent response.
A fire at Vijai Marine Shipyard in Loutolim, Goa, on October 17, 2025, claimed the lives of three workers and left four others seriously injured, The Maritime Telegraph reports, citing Times of India. The blaze broke out in the late afternoon while seven laborers were welding in a confined area of a vessel under construction. All victims were migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh.
An explosion on the LPG tanker Falcon in the Gulf of Aden on October 18 has left two seafarers missing, reports The Maritime Telegraph. The incident has raised fresh concerns about vessel safety and maritime security in the region.
A tragic crew boat accident off the coast of Mozambique has left seven people missing, according to The Maritime Telegraph. The small service vessel overturned in the early hours of Thursday while assisting the Scorpio-managed tanker Sea Quest near the outer anchorage of Beira.
