The island country of Mauritius was the scene of a ship breakup after grounding. The picture is below, from the article. The flag state was Panama, which conducted its own investigation. The crew was overdue for leave and waiting for a convenient port.
Wakashio broke apart causing a large oil spill resulting in a $2.5 billion cost the report find (IMO)
There were other technical problems as the ship approached the shore. But the master had 4 drinks and could not take command of the ship. There was no qualified lookout. Hands were at a party onboard.
But the court also found that the local Mauritius authorities were in complete confusion; they could have pulled the ship off the reef in the first couple of days, but did not, allowing the ship to destroy 96km of coral reef.
Maritime accidents are increasingly common. Many are due to issues with the captain and crew. The maritime industry and flag states have a lot to do to reduce the frequency of accidents. The culture of safety is often not present on ships; that is the fault of the master and the ship operator.
Read the article for details.
Published Oct 3, 2025 7:47 PM by The Maritime Executive
Supply Chain and Logistics 