Nine Reported Missing after Mercosul Boxship Hits Tug

Mercosul Line Nine people are reported missing after the 2, 478 TEU Mercosul Santos containership collided with a tug pushing barges on the Amazon river on Wednesday. Following the impact, the tug sank taking nine of its crew members with it along with some barges owned by Bertolini. Two crew members have been rescued, according to local media. Local authorities have launched search and rescue operation for the missing crew. The ship is owned by Mercosul Line, a Brazilian shipowner specialized in the transportation of containerized cargo. The company became part of Danish Maersk Group in 2006. However, earlier this year Maersk Line inked a deal with French liner company CMA CGM to sell Mercosul Line as a way of making sure the relevant regulatory authorities approve its merger with Hamburg Süd. Mercosul Line has four boxships in its fleet: Mercosul Santos, Mercosul Manaus, Mercosul Suape and Mercosul Itajai. Both Maersk Line and Mercosul Line are yet to provide us with a comment on the accident. The video below shows the damage on the scene after the incident. World Maritime News Staff