Al-Qibla-Express Vessel Reviews and Specifications

On December 30, 2018, at approximately 12:40 PM, the cargo ship 'Al Qibla' faced a complete engine power failure while maneuvering away from its berth at Delta Port, located in British Columbia. The incident occurred at the coordinates 48 59.81 N, 123 10.37 W. Crew members promptly initiated repairs, allowing the vessel to resume its journey to Seattle. 'Al Qibla' successfully docked at SSA Terminal 18 Container Terminal on December 31 at 10:50 AM, where it remained at the terminal until January 3, 2019.

On May 6, 2023, the 'Kuala Lumpur Express' departed from Hamburg at 1:15 p.m., heading towards Southampton with an estimated time of arrival on May 7. This voyage came just after a forceful storm. On May 5 at 5 p.m., the vessel encountered a significant incident when it collided with the 'Al Qibla' at Waltershof Port during a thunderstorm exhibiting wind gusts reaching up to 120 km/h. Both vessels sustained damage to their bow regions, while also injuring a gantry crane in the area. The 'Al Qibla' had already resumed its journey, leaving the port at 9 a.m. en route to Zeebrugge. Concurrently, multiple vessels, including the 'Hanjin Gold', 'Bianca Rambow', 'MSC Margarita', and 'Barmbek', broke free from their moorings at Predöhl Quay and Athabaska Quay. The 'Hanjin Gold' managed to anchor safely, thwarting further drifting. The 'Bianca Rambow' was held in the fairway of Waltershof Port by the police launch 'WS 35' before returning to its berth under its own power. Meanwhile, 'Barmbek' was secured by the police boat 'WS 20 - Amerikahöft', which dropped two anchors to stabilize it. The Hamburg Port Authority's boat 'Hafenaufsicht' along with an assistance tug helped secure it back at the quay. Despite a broken mooring line, the 'MSC Margarita' remained safely at the quay. The incident led to an extensive amount of damage to the gangways and mooring lines, the extent of which remains undetermined. The Hamburg Port Authority activated all available assistance tugs. By 8:15 p.m., operations were normal again, though work at Waltershof port was temporarily halted. Notably, over 100 containers toppled at the Eurogate and HHLA Container terminal at Burchard Quay, but fortunately, no hazardous materials were spilled.

On the afternoon of May 5, 2015, a powerful thunderstorm swept through Hamburg, resulting in strong gusts that dislodged the container ship 'Al Qibla' from its moorings at Waltershof Port. The vessel's bow drifted perilously close to the 'Kuala Lumpur Express,' which was moored on the opposite quay. Quick-thinking tugboats, including the 'ZP Bulldog,' 'ZP Boxer,' and 'Perfect,' were deployed to maneuver the 'Al Qibla' back to safety. In addition, the container ship 'Hanjin Gold,' docked behind 'Al Qibla,' was also freed from its moorings, prompting assistance from the 'SD Dolphin' and 'Bugsier 7' to secure it. The police launch 'WS 35' was on the scene to oversee the operation. Further exacerbating the situation, the vessel 'Barmbek' was reported to have broken free at Athabaska Quay 8 as well. The swift response from the tugboats and authorities helped to prevent any major incidents during this chaotic weather event.