Last week, the container ship MSC Alexandra lost its moorings and collided with a new pier at Mundra Port in India, as reported by local media and captured in bystander videos. The incident occurred during a sudden thunderstorm when strong winds caused the ship’s mooring lines to break. As a result, the vessel drifted across the harbor and struck the under-construction pier. Workers on the waterfront managed to escape just before the allision, while the ship sounded its horn to alert those nearby.
This is not the first time MSC Alexandra has made headlines. In 2016, the vessel was involved in a collision with the Iranian VLCC Dream II in the Singapore Strait, where Dream II’s bow struck the Alexandra, damaging its hull and causing ten containers to fall overboard. Images from that incident revealed significant damage to the ship’s port quarter.
In May 2024, the ship was reportedly targeted by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, although there was no evidence of damage. Currently, MSC Alexandra is unable to navigate its usual route through the Strait of Hormuz due to ongoing regional hostilities, and as of Monday, it remains anchored outside Mundra Port.
