Why was such a large ship brought into port with a faulty steering system?

Two major technical defects were detected in the foreign container vessel CNC Uranus on July 30. The defects were identified in a survey conducted by an international classification organization before the vessel left Singapore for Chattogram.

The shipowner was advised to notify the authorities about the defects before entering the next port. The organization also issued a special instruction to have the defects repaired to ensure the vessel could operate safely.

The accident occurred while the vessel was berthing at the Chattogram Port jetty without notifying Chattogram Port and the Department of Shipping.

It was precisely because of the warning that had been issued that the vessel lost control after reaching the entrance to Chattogram Port. After losing control, the vessel struck a navigation buoy with great force and eventually drifted and became immobilized after getting stuck against a retaining wall beside a naval installation. The country narrowly avoided an accident that could have brought Chattogram Port to a standstill. Through a joint effort by the port authority, the Navy and the Coast Guard, the vessel was rescued about 12 hours later.

The vessel first stopped at Singapore Port after departing from Shiko Port in China. It then left Singapore for Chattogram carrying 1,282 import containers. Before the voyage began, the international classification society DNV surveyed the vessel on July 30. The survey report clearly states that during a deck and engine inspection in Singapore, a malfunction in the steering gear hydraulic lock alarm system was identified. At that time, under international maritime law and technical notices, the vessel was required to inform the local pilot and port authority at every port it would visit about the mechanical defect. However, the vessel’s crew or representatives concealed the information from the port authority before entering Chattogram Port. Even when the vessel was approaching from the outer anchorage to berth at Chattogram Port jetty on Monday, the shipping agent did not inform the authorities.

To find out why the shipping agent concealed the information, comments were sought from Enamul Haque Titu, head of the Chattogram branch of American President Lines (APL), the vessel’s shipping agent, by phone calls and messages. However, he did not respond, so his comments could not be obtained.

Captain Anam Chowdhury, president of the Merchant Marine Officers Association, said that if the hydraulic lock alarm of a vessel is not functioning and the steering actually becomes ‘locked’ while the vessel is sailing, the navigation officer or captain on the bridge may not immediately know about it. As a result, before the vessel’s operator realizes what has happened, the vessel could lose direction and strike a channel, jetty or another vessel with great force, potentially causing a major accident.