Tanker crashes into patrol vessel in escape attempt in Yangtze River

An oil tanker collided with a patrol vessel in the Yangtze River as it attempted to avoid inspection by Chinese authorities near Shanghai on Monday, June 10.

The incident occurred shortly after 18:20 local time when the crew of the China Maritime Safety Administration’s (CMSA) 128-metre-long patrol vessel Haixun 01 noted that the tanker Hongpu 228 was sailing along a “suspicious course” near the Yangtze River estuary.

The CMSA personnel contacted the tanker crew via radio and ordered them to stop, but the latter made no response and instead continued along their present course. The patrol vessel then intercepted the tanker and caught up with it in another attempt to force it to stop.

The tanker then turned its bow towards the approaching patrol boat without warning and struck it amidships.

Both vessels suffered minor damage and no injuries have been reported.

The tanker was later towed to port in Pudong and the crew were taken into custody by the CMSA.

A CMSA official told local reporters that the actions of Hongpu 228‘s crew were deliberate and extremely dangerous, saying an explosion could have been triggered by the collision.

The initial findings of the investigation into the incident reveal the tanker may have been involved in smuggling refined oil.