A cargo ship collided with a pier at Busan’s Gamcheon Port on Saturday morning after the vessel unexpectedly surged forward during docking, the Busan Coast Guard confirmed.

The accident caused damage to both the ship and port infrastructure, though no injuries or pollution were reported.

The incident took place at around 11:18 a.m. at Pier 3 in Saha-gu. The 1,990-tonne vessel, with 10 Indonesian crew members on board and a pilot guiding the approach, reportedly moved ahead when it should have been reversing towards a portside berth.

The sudden motion caused its bulbous bow to strike the pier’s seawall and become stuck inside a stormwater pipe.

A coastal rescue vessel was sent to the scene after the pilot raised the alarm. Coast Guard personnel later confirmed that the ship’s bulbous bow was lodged in the stormwater pipe before being freed.

A subsequent inspection found a crack measuring roughly 30 to 50 centimetres on the left side of the bow. Officials also noted that the stormwater pipe’s cement and rebar had been damaged.

As part of routine procedure, the captain underwent an alcohol test, which confirmed he was not under the influence during the manoeuvre.

A Coast Guard representative said personnel on board had explained that the vessel had advanced unintentionally instead of reversing, and officers were examining the precise circumstances that led to the error.

Authorities are assessing the full scale of the damage and reviewing whether human error, mechanical failure or another factor contributed to the accident.

References: The Chosun, nauticalnova