Collision between vessels sends containers overboard in Indonesia

May 19 ------ A collision occurred on Indonesia’s Mahakam River between the container vessel Spil Ratna and the general cargo vessel Meratus Kolawa.

The incident took place in a narrow stretch of the river between Samarinda and upstream areas, as Spil Ratna, departing from Samarinda, collided with Meratus Kolawa, which was en route to Balikpapan. As reported, the container vessel struck the cargo ship on the starboard bow, causing extensive damage to the upper hull section above the waterline.

As a result of the impact, eight containers were lost overboard and carried away by the river current, raising concerns over potential navigational hazards in the busy inland waterway. Amendments to the MARPOL and SOLAS Conventions on mandatory reporting of lost containers entered into force on 1 January 2026. Containers lost overboard can be a serious hazard to navigation and safety at sea as well as to the marine environment.

Indonesia’s port authority, KSOP, deployed response teams to track and recover the drifting containers, while local fishermen and vessel operators were placed on alert during ongoing monitoring operations. No injuries or pollution were reported and the cause of the collision remains under investigation.

Source: safety4sea.com