Massive Cargo Ship Collides with Bridge in Vicinity of Buenos Aires

A large bulker ship collided with a support pillar for a key road bridge connecting Buenos Aires with Argentina’s northern Entre Rios province, causing the shutdown of the Parana River waterway. The incident occurred at about 2100 hours on Sunday night, as the ship, named En May, was making about 10 knots and lining up to pass under the bridge. Bystander videos show extensive damage on the port side of the ship, with a gaping hole extending above and below the waterline on the port bow.

The cause of the collision is still under investigation, but local maritime media outlet Paraguay Fluvial has reported it as a rudder failure. The ship is stable, and flooding is limited to a single hold forward. Maritime traffic through the waterway has been shut down for safety, with restrictions on vehicle and truck traffic over the bridge. As of Monday afternoon, the ship was still positioned next to the bridge pylons, according to AIS data.

En May is an 85,000 dwt bulker built in 2017 and operated by a firm in New York. The incident has caused significant disruption to transportation in the area, and the investigation into the cause of the collision is ongoing.

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