Working Conditions Aboard the Apl-Vanda

On July 3, 2022, the container ship 'APL Vanda' experienced a significant loss of 55 containers while navigating the Arabian Sea, near Socotra, within a 400-nautical mile radius. The vessel was on a route from Singapore to Southampton, USA, making a transit through the Suez Canal. Due to this incident, 'APL Vanda' had to pause its journey and reached Djibouti Anchorage on July 6. Subsequently, on July 15, the ship docked at the Doraleh Container Terminal, with tugboat assistance facilitating the berthing process. Notably, there were no alerts regarding containers adrift in the vicinity where the loss occurred.

On February 16, at approximately 5 p.m., the mega container ship APL Vanda departed from the Southampton dock, with its sights set on Hamburg, where it is expected to arrive by 11 p.m. on February 17. The vessel was escorted by three tugboats as a safety measure. Following a return to Southampton, the ship initially planned to make its journey to Hamburg after completing precautionary inspections. However, the departure was postponed to allow divers to conduct a detailed examination of the hull for any potential damage.

The mega container ship APL Vanda, operated by DP World Southampton, was initially slated to depart for Hamburg on February 16 at approximately 12:30 GMT. However, its sailing has been postponed to facilitate necessary inspections directly following its grounding incident on the West Bramble Bank. Thankfully, no injuries or pollution were reported due to this mishap. The vessel’s hull is currently undergoing a thorough examination by divers before it can safely continue its journey. APL is actively collaborating with relevant authorities and stakeholders as the investigation unfolds.