Bulk Carrier Incident in Porto Alegre Blocks Ship Passage

On November 3rd, a Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier, the Mount Taranaki, ran aground in the Itapua channel near Porto Alegre. Although it was successfully refloated with the help of two tugboats, the ship has since been unable to dock at Porto Alegre due to low water levels.

The grounding occurred in the afternoon, and despite being refloated, the Mount Taranaki remains anchored as water levels have not yet risen sufficiently to allow docking. 

The National Institute of Meteorology, however, reported on November 5th that changing wind conditions should soon help increase water levels, allowing the vessel to proceed.

The incident caused a significant disruption, blocking the passage for other vessels in the channel. The EVA Shanghai, which was following close behind, was delayed due to the blockage, while another vessel, the INOI, became trapped on the opposite side, unable to exit the port. 

Officials noted that without the refloating efforts, an additional eight vessels could have been affected by the blockage in the channel.