Crane Accident at Keelung Port: Heavy Lift Vessel Topples STS Crane

On Monday, a heavy lift vessel was delivering a new container crane to the port of Keelung when it collided with and destroyed an existing crane. Around 2:00 PM, the ship Yuzhou Qi Hang was docking at Pier 20 with the new STS crane. As it approached, the new crane made contact with the existing one, pushing it backward until it eventually tipped over. Unlike most incidents of this kind, the old crane remained intact as it fell.

Fortunately, no one was injured, and damage to other infrastructure was minimal. Four empty containers and one full container were impacted, and operations were temporarily halted in the terminal. The estimated cost of replacing the crane exceeds $40 million, according to Taiwanese media. The port operator and the vessel’s operator are working with their insurers to determine liability.

Taiwanese transport authorities are investigating the incident. Such accidents are uncommon but not unheard of in port operations. In 2021, a similar accident involving the ship OOCL Durban resulted in a collapsed crane and injuries to a port employee.