Evergreen Vessel Detained in Qingdao Following Collision

A vessel belonging to the Evergreen Marine Corporation has been detained at the port of Qingdao in China for an inquiry following a collision with another ship.

The Ever Lucid, a container ship built in 2014 with a capacity of 8,508 TEU and serving on the Taiwanese company’s Transpacific Northwest Service, was involved in an incident with an unidentified Chinese freighter around 1am on March 14. The Ever Lucid had departed from Qingdao shortly before 10pm on March 13, and was scheduled to travel from Shanghai to Ningbo.

The captain of the Ever Lucid discovered the crew of the Chinese vessel in trouble and decided to return to assist in their rescue.

Reports from local news outlets indicated that the Chinese vessel failed to adhere to protocols designed to prevent collisions.

Evergreen Marine issued a statement saying, “Following instructions from the local maritime authority, Ever Lucid proceeded to anchor at Qingdao. The Chinese cargo ship was also safely moved to a berth in the port. Both crews are currently cooperating with the maritime investigation team. Fortunately, the accident resulted in damage only to the hulls of the ships, with no injuries or fuel leaks reported.”

The Taiwan Transportation Safety Board has decided against launching its own investigation into the incident.

Lin Shinn-der, the chairman of the board, stated, “There’re no casualties, no injuries and no major environmental impact. We will respect the Chinese investigation effort.”

This incident marks the second time the Ever Lucid has been involved in an accident. In April 2021, it collided with a Chinese fishing trawler near Zhoushan port, leading to the loss of five out of six crew members from the fishing vessel.