The collision involved the 1,100-teu E R Turku (built 2011)and the 88,266-dwt bulker Double Progress (built 2007).
TheDouble Progress was en route to Port Klang’s pilot’sstation to embark a pilot prior to entering the port when it collided with the ER Turku, which was anchored two miles from the pilot’s station.
The Double Progress isowned by Japan’s Shoei Kisen Kaisha but is on long-term charter to PCL. The E RTurku is owned by ERSchiffahrt GmbH & Cie KG.
Malaysian media reports say the Port Klang Authority(PKA) has denied that the collision at the outer limits of the port’s pilotagedistrict was due to a faulty very-high frequency (VHF) radio channel.
“The Double Progress Master has admitted negligence whilenavigating the ship, causing the minor collision,” PKA general manager CaptDavid Padman is quoted as saying.
“Both ships had been in contact with each other on VHFradio channel 16 prior to the incident, but the master of the Double Progresshad failed to take sufficient measures to prevent the incident,” he said.
Padman told Malaysia’s New Straits Times that followinginvestigations into the incident, it was found that the collision had occurredoutside the pilotage district and that there was no interference duringcommunications between both ships on channel 16.
“Currently, channel 12, which we normally use, still hasproblems. PKA, with the assistance of the terminal operators, Northport,Westports Malaysia and the Central Region Marine Department are investigating thecause of the faulty channel.”
The accident between theDouble Progress, which was carrying 30,000t of coal and the ER Turku, happenedabout 09:00 GMT on Thursday.
