Two cargo vessels collided with each other near the Port of Douala in Cameroon earlier this week, leading to the deliberate grounding of one of the ships involved as a safety precaution.
The incident occurred at around 03:00 local time on Sunday, July 12, when the inbound Cypriot-flagged general cargo ship Black Rhino and the outbound Tuvalu-registered bulk carrier Sea Honor struck each other.
Rescue teams arrived in the area shortly afterwards and evacuated all 15 crewmembers from Black Rhino. Black Rhino was then intentionally run aground while Sea Honor was escorted to a nearby anchorage to clear the channel for other vessel traffic.
The channel was fully reopened to traffic later in the day on Sunday, local authorities confirmed.
The Port Authority of Douala said that both vessels sustained damage from the incident but no casualties have been reported among their crews.
An investigation has been launched to determine whether a reported loss of steering control aboard Black Rhino had led to the collision.
