Car Carrier Topples Gantry at Port of Koper

On Wednesday night at 2100 hours, the car carrier Neptune Thelisis broke loose from her moorings and allided with a bulk cargo ship-to-shore gantry at the Port of Koper, Slovenia. The gantry toppled over, resulting in at least $10-15 million in damage, but no injuries or fatalies were reported. The port has two remaining bulk gantries, which will allow all operations at the terminal to continue until a replacement is delivered. 

The accident appears to have been caused by severe winds, which reportedly caused the lines at the Thelisis' bow to part. Maritime authorities have launched an investigation and marine surveyors will examine the Thelisis for damage. The ro/ro was still moored at Koper as of Friday afternoon. 

Port workers captured the moment of the crane's collapse on video, below (at time marker 1:00, in Slovenian). 

 

Local outlet Najdi suggests that authorities have warned of the risk of allision between vessels and the pierside gantries at Koper in the past, and that there have been two similar near-miss incidents, both involving ro/ros.