Maritime Security and Safety
Global Maritime Safety Watch: Tanker Collision, Gulf Attacks and Container Losses Dominate Weekly Incident Log
Global Maritime Safety Watch: Tanker Collision, Gulf Attacks and Container Losses Dominate Weekly Incident Log
By Okeoghene Onoriobe | Waterways News Correspondent
A string of serious maritime safety incidents across global shipping lanes last week — including a deadly tanker-fishing vessel collision off India, coordinated projectile strikes on commercial ships near the UAE, and fresh Iranian attacks on fuel tankers in Iraqi waters — underscores the compounding navigational and geopolitical hazards confronting the international shipping community.
Tanker Strikes Fishing Trawler Off Kerala; Two Fishermen Feared Dead
Two fishermen are feared dead after the Panamanian-flagged chemical tanker Solis collided with the locally registered fishing trawler St. Joseph in the Arabian Sea on 8 March.
The collision occurred approximately 120 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala, India, where the fishing vessel had been anchored. The Solis struck the trawler around noon, causing severe damage that sent the smaller vessel to the seabed within minutes.
Nine survivors were rescued by the Solis crew, while the Indian Coast Guard vessel ICGS Anagh responded promptly to the scene, recovering the survivors and transporting them to Vizhinjam Port. A search for the two missing fishermen remained ongoing at the time of reporting.
India’s Directorate General of Shipping has since opened a formal investigation into the incident. The Solis, built in 2003, measures 145.5 metres in length with a gross tonnage of 11,573.
Two Commercial Vessels Hit by Projectiles Near UAE Waters
Two commercial ships sustained damage from suspected projectile strikes off the coast of the United Arab Emirates on 11 March, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has confirmed.
The Japanese-flagged container ship One Majesty was struck approximately 25 nautical miles northwest of Ras Al Khaimah at around 01:58 UTC. The vessel’s captain reported an impact from a “suspected but unknown projectile,” though all crew members were confirmed safe. The ship subsequently sailed towards safe anchorage with minor damage.
In a separate incident occurring minutes later, the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Star Gwyneth was hit by an unknown projectile about 50 nautical miles northwest of Dubai, sustaining hull damage. No injuries or pollution were reported.
UKMTO has urged vessels transiting the area to maintain heightened vigilance and promptly report any suspicious activity as investigations continue.
OOCL Sunflower Loses 57 Containers in North Pacific Storm
The containership OOCL Sunflower lost approximately 57 containers overboard while navigating south of the Aleutian Island Chain in the North Pacific Ocean on 3 March, in conditions described as extreme.
The vessel, which had departed Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on 23 February, encountered violent seas that caused containers to go overboard while others on deck shifted or sustained damage. Rough conditions prevented the crew from carrying out a full damage assessment at sea. A comprehensive inspection was scheduled upon the ship’s arrival at Long Beach, United States, on 12 March.
Built in 2025 and sailing under the Hong Kong flag, the OOCL Sunflower measures nearly 367 metres in length and carries a capacity of 16,828 TEU.
Bulk Carrier Grounded in Çanakkale Strait, Later Refloated
The Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier Nota App ran aground in Turkey’s Çanakkale Strait on 11 March after suffering engine failure during a turning manoeuvre. The vessel, carrying a grain cargo from Russia to Egypt, was successfully refloated by Turkish rescue teams without casualties or pollution.
Three tugboats — Kurtarma 21, Kurtarma 4, and Kurtarma 15 — along with the rescue boat KEGM-8 were deployed by Turkey’s General Directorate of Coastal Safety. Divers also conducted an underwater inspection before the vessel was escorted to Karanlık Liman Anchorage for further examination.
Iranian Forces Attack Two Fuel Tankers in Iraqi Waters
Two fuel tankers were set ablaze after reportedly being struck by Iranian explosive-laden boats in Iraqi territorial waters in the early hours of 12 March, amid the continuing regional conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
The vessels attacked were the Safesea Vishnu, registered in the Marshall Islands, and the Zefyros, registered in Malta. Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Company confirmed the identities of both ships. The Zefyros was reported to have been loaded with condensate from the Basra Gas Company when it came under attack in the ship-to-ship transfer zone within Iraqi waters.
Twenty-five crew members from both vessels were rescued, while search operations for remaining crew continued. The body of one crew member was recovered from the water.
In response to the attacks, Iraqi oil ports were shut down, though cargo ports remained operational.
Drone Strike Sets Fuel Tanks Ablaze at Port of Salalah
Fuel storage tanks at Oman’s Port of Salalah were set on fire on 11 March following a drone attack attributed to Iranian forces. Several terminals were temporarily closed, though merchant vessels remained docked at the port. Omani authorities reported no casualties among port workers or residents and indicated that countermeasures were being deployed.
The Salalah strike marks a significant escalation, extending the theatre of conflict beyond direct Iran-Israel-US exchanges to threatening Gulf energy storage infrastructure and critical maritime trade corridors.
Nigeria Watch: What These Incidents Mean for Nigerian Shipping Stakeholders
The concentrated cluster of incidents across the Gulf of Oman, Iraqi territorial waters, and the UAE coastline carries direct implications for Nigeria’s maritime sector.
For Nigerian shipowners and vessel operators, the attacks on the Safesea Vishnu and Zefyros — both in what should have been a controlled ship-to-ship transfer zone — are a sobering reminder that even regulated loading operations in contested waters can become targets. War risk premiums for Gulf transits are almost certain to rise in the weeks ahead, with knock-on effects for freight rates on Middle East-origin refined products arriving at Nigerian ports.
Crude oil and petroleum product traders supplying the Dangote Refinery and other downstream operators should note that the shutdown of Iraqi oil ports, even temporarily, tightens regional supply dynamics and can feed into international crude price volatility. Nigeria, as a net importer of refined petroleum despite its upstream endowment, remains acutely exposed to such fluctuations.
The drone strike on Port of Salalah is equally significant: Salalah is a key transshipment hub on the Asia-Europe-West Africa corridor. Any sustained disruption there would extend voyage durations and increase the cost of cargo flows to West African ports, including Apapa and Tin Can Island.
For NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy, the proliferation of drone-and-projectile maritime attacks across the Gulf underlines the urgency of developing comparable detection and deterrence capabilities in Nigeria’s own offshore zone. The Gulf of Guinea remains a different threat environment, but the evolution of asymmetric maritime warfare is a lesson that no maritime administration can afford to ignore.
Waterways News Maritime Safety Desk
Maritime Security and Safety
IMO Council Mourns Slain Seafarers, Demands Stronger Protection as Maritime Conflicts Deepen
IMO Council Mourns Slain Seafarers, Demands Stronger Protection as Maritime Conflicts Deepen
Dominguez warns merchant ships remain exposed from Hormuz to the Black Sea as 138th Council session ends in London
By Okeoghene Onoriobe | Waterways News
Member states at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) used the opening of the Council’s 138th session to mourn seafarers killed in recent attacks and to demand firmer protection for civilian mariners.
Council met in London from 2 to 6 November, with Russia and Iran putting security in the Black Sea and the Strait of Hormuz at the centre of discussions. On 2 November, Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said commercial shipping remained exposed to attack in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
The mourning was driven by a run of deaths this year. Five seafarers reportedly died on 29 September during the rescue of the hijacked HONOUR 25 in Somali waters, and several others were seriously injured. In all, 44 seafarers were freed from three vessels. Dominguez noted that 22 seafarers remain captive aboard the ASANA, which was seized earlier this year, and urged continued effort to secure their release.
The Strait of Hormuz remains the deadliest flashpoint. The IMO had verified at least 70 attacks on international shipping there, with 19 seafarers killed, by its late-August assessment. A tally reported by gCaptain put the seafarer death toll at 24 as of 5 November.
Dominguez has repeatedly insisted that seafarers are civilians doing their jobs. He has said they should never become casualties of conflicts to which they are not a party.
Member states echoed the call. Liberia renewed its appeal for seafarer protection and freedom of navigation, and Indonesia said seafarer protection and safety of navigation must be a shared priority.
The session also dealt with leadership. Council backed a second four-year term for Dominguez, subject to approval by the IMO Assembly in 2027. The term would run from 1 January 2028 to 31 December 2031.
Nigeria Watch
Nigeria has more at stake than a distant diplomatic debate. Hormuz disruption has fed through to freight rates, war-risk insurance and port costs for Nigerian importers and shippers. Piracy off Somalia and the Gulf of Aden is a reminder that the Gulf of Guinea’s own security gains, including the Deep Blue Project, cannot be taken for granted.
The Council session also bears on Nigeria’s IMO seat. Abuja has pushed seafarer welfare and maritime security as part of its diplomacy, and the Council’s message gives that agenda more weight. The test is whether Nigeria backs its advocacy abroad with welfare protections, training and safety enforcement for its own mariners and for the informal waterway operators represented by WABOTAN and ATBOWATON.
For those operators, the lesson from London is that protection is a shared responsibility, and it has to reach the people who work on the inland water, not just those on ocean-going ships.
Nigeria Unveils Home-Built ADX-Barra 200 Autonomous Vessel at AFRIDEX 2026
Arridex, DICON joint venture Helagon delivers country’s first indigenously developed unmanned surface vessels%
By Ighoyota Onaibre | Waterways News
Nigeria has unveiled its first indigenously developed autonomous surface vessel, the ADX-Barra 200. Arridex Group, formerly RusselSmith Group, built it through Helagon, its defence joint venture with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).
The vessel was unveiled on 26 October at the inaugural Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX 2026) at Eko Atlantic, Lagos. The exhibition ran from 26 to 29 October.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. He said the administration prioritises defence industry growth because a nation is more secure when it can build and maintain its own capability. He described the vessel as that capability taking shape, designed and built by local engineers in partnership with DICON, and said it deserves government support and the confidence of the armed forces.
ADX-Barra 200
Arridex Group CEO Kayode Adeleke presented the vessel. He said Helagon was set up to design autonomous systems and that the ADX-Barra 200 is the result. For the forces that will use it, he called it a force multiplier.
The ADX-Barra 200 is one of two platforms in the ADX-Barra series launched at the exhibition. The other is the ADX-Barra 100. Arridex says both were designed, built and integrated in Nigeria by its engineers.
Adeleke tied the platforms to Gulf of Guinea security. He said the region’s waters carry its trade, support its coastal communities and hold much of its energy wealth, and that protecting them calls for capability the region can build, sustain and improve itself. He invited the armed services and other stakeholders to arrange demonstrations and to help shape later generations of the vessels.
Others at the unveiling included Lagos State Deputy Governor Dr Obafemi Hamzat and the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle. DICON Director-General Major General Babatunde Ibrahim Alaya, Helagon Chief Operating Officer Engr. Precious Omo-Agege and Arridex senior management were also present.
Arridex has not published the vessel’s technical specifications, including its length, endurance, payload and sensors. Both vessels remained on display at the exhibition.
NIGERIA WATCH
A home-built answer to a long-standing maritime problem: Nigeria’s waters have long needed more patrol capacity than its platforms and budgets can supply. A locally designed vessel that “can be supported, adapted and improved by the team that made it,” as Arridex puts it, addresses one persistent weakness. Imported hulls and systems often sit idle for want of spares, support and trained hands.
The questions that matter next: Unveilings are not deployments. The Navy, NIMASA’s Deep Blue Project and other agencies will want to know the vessel’s range, endurance, sensors and sea-state limits. They will also want to know whether it can work in the Gulf of Guinea. Until Arridex publishes specifications and arranges trials, the “game-changing” claim remains the company’s own.
Beyond defence: Waterways News readers should watch whether this technology filters into civil uses such as inland waterway surveillance, anti-vandalism patrols and search and rescue. The country’s inland operators, including those represented by WABOTAN and ATBOWATON, face insecurity and safety gaps that policy announcements have not closed. Local manufacturing capacity matters to them only if it eventually reaches the waterways where they work.
The accountability test: The industrial-policy argument is sound. It is build locally and maintain locally. It will be judged by procurement, deployment and sustained operation, not by launch-day speeches.
Editor's Choice
Australia Bars Repeat-Offender Bulk Carrier for 90 Days Over Falsified Crew Rest Records
Australia Bars Repeat-Offender Bulk Carrier for 90 Days Over Falsified Crew Rest Records
By Okeoghene Onoriobe | Waterways News
Australian maritime authorities have banned the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Wooyang Venus from its ports and waters for 90 days. Inspectors found that the ship’s crew work and rest-hour records had been deliberately falsified to hide excessive working hours.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) boarded the vessel at the Port of Newcastle on 29 October after a complaint under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). Its port state control inspection found that the records did not match the hours the crew actually worked. The ship left Newcastle on 31 October for Korea, and the ban took effect afterwards.
This is the vessel’s third brush with Australian enforcement in under three years. AMSA detained it in August 2026 when crew hours were neither properly recorded nor monitored. It was first detained in December 2023, after a complaint from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).
That inspection found falsified hours records, poor food provisions and an allegation that the master had assaulted a crew member. AMSA’s annual MLC report says the operator then submitted a corrective action plan covering repatriation, better provisions and training on rest-hour compliance. The latest findings suggest those measures did not take hold.
AMSA Executive Director for Maritime Safety and Environmental Compliance, Greg Witherall, said falsifying records meant to protect seafarers undermines both crew welfare and ship safety. He warned that fatigue dulls judgement and slows reaction times, raising the risk of collisions, groundings and injuries, particularly during navigation and watchkeeping.
The ban was imposed under Section 246 of Australia’s Navigation Act 2012. AMSA cited the deliberate falsification, the repeated breaches and doubts over the effectiveness of the owner’s and operator’s safety management systems.
Nigeria Watch
The case matters for Nigeria for three reasons:
Records are the enforcement tool. Fatigue rules only work if rest-hour logs can be trusted. Australia treated falsification as a safety-system failure, not a paperwork lapse, and banned the ship rather than detaining it again.
Repeat offenders need escalating penalties. Two detentions and a corrective plan did not change this operator’s behaviour. Nigerian port state control should ask whether its own follow-up on repeat deficiencies has real consequences.
Seafarer welfare is a Nigerian issue. Nigerian seafarers serve on foreign-flagged ships, and those working boats and ferries on domestic waters face fatigue and welfare gaps too, often with no records at all.
The MLC regime Australia is enforcing shows what accountability looks like. It is the benchmark NIMASA and the inland regulators should be measured against, and one this publication will keep pressing.
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