The German-registered Hansa Constitution ran into a spot of bother this Sunday when it ran aground whilst travelling across the East Lamma Channel, Hong Kong.
The 193-metre long (633-foot) vessel was travelling from Yokohamma to the Chiwan terminal located at the Port of Shenzhen when the incident occurred.
According to the vessel’s owners, Hansa Treuland Gruppe, disaster struck when power was lost on-board.
To complicate matters further, volatile weather forced the 2,810 TEU massively off-course steering it straight towards a sea wall near the Stanley Ho Sports centre in Pok Fu Lum.
Earlier that morning, Hong Kong’s Marine Department and weather observatory had issued an advisory warning of “strong monsoon” weather, restricting vision down to two-nautical miles and battering ships with strong winds and torrential downpours.
However, before a major accident occurred, the captain quickly ordered emergency protocols, dropping anchor to steadily slow down the out of control vessel.
As a result of this quick thinking, what may have been a major catastrophe was marginally adverted, with zero casualties and the vessel appearing to come out of the situation practically unscathed.
Two diving support vessels and two fireboats were soon deployed to the rather incredible scene, subsequently towing the vessel free.
