Cameroon's main port of Douala has resumed operations, its transport minister said on Tuesday, after a collision between two cargo vessels at the weekend temporarily obstructed the navigation channel.
The accident occurred early on Sunday near buoy No. 20 in the Douala-Bonaberi port channel when the outgoing Tuvalu-registered cargo vessel MV Sea Honor collided with the inbound Cyprus-flagged MV Black Rhino.
No fatalities were reported, but both vessels sustained significant damage and the collision temporarily blocked access to the channel, disrupting maritime traffic at one of Central Africa's busiest ports. The impact of the disruption was not disclosed.
The Port of Douala-Bonaberi handles the majority of Cameroon’s seaborne trade and serves as a crucial transit corridor for imports and exports destined for Chad and the Central African Republic.
The Port Authority of Douala said a technical investigation has been launched to establish the exact circumstances of the accident. However, it noted that initial findings suggested that a loss of steering control on board MV Black Rhino may have been the cause of the collision.
"MV Sea Honor was cleared from the channel and towed to the anchorage area, while MV Black Rhino was deliberately run aground along the line of red buoys to ensure the safety of navigation and facilitate clearance operations," Minister Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe said in a statement.
The 15 crew members aboard MV Black Rhino were evacuated safely and received assistance in line with national maritime rescue procedures, the transport ministry said.
The ministry said the channel had since been fully cleared and maritime traffic had returned to normal under standard safety conditions.
(Reuters)