Accident prevented at Ashdod Port
Stormy weather causes ship's mooring line to break, sending ship adrift; maritime pilot steers vessel just before collision with nearby freighter; ammunition containers fall to sea
This week's harsh weather conditions, bringing about severe flooding and damage, led to a near accident Wednesday in the Ashdod Port.
The heavy storm caused a cargo ship's mooring line to break, thereby sending the ship adrift in the direction of another freighter anchoring nearby. At the last minute, the ship's maritime pilot managed to steer the vessel out of the harbor.
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Though an accident was averted, 26 containers, out of 4,000 that the ship was carrying, dropped to the waters, including containers of bullets and caps of various weapons. The ammunition that fell to sea poses no danger, and five of the 26 containers have already been washed ashore.
One of the containers (Photo: Environmental Protection Ministry)
Though the sea calmed, the ship will not reenter the port until the weather has completely stabilized.
The ship's maritime pilot, Maurice Moore, told Ynet Thursday: "The weather was violent… after the ropes broke I managed to jump on board the ship, which started to drift toward the other ship. I decided to sail out of the port so as to avoid collision."
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