Terminal work in the Nieuwe Maas area at the Port of Rotterdam was interrupted on the evening of 6 February (local time) after a container stack gave way during discharge operations from the German-flagged Bangkok Express.
As containers were being handled, part of the stow collapsed and multiple boxes fell outward. Several units struck the LNG bunkering vessel K. Lotus, which was berthed alongside the terminal, while additional containers dropped into the river, creating immediate concerns for nearby traffic and ongoing waterfront activities.
Preliminary information from port authorities and on-scene reporting indicated that at least five containers landed on the stern deck of K. Lotus. At the time, K. Lotus was engaged in LNG bunkering procedures.
The crew on K. Lotus halted transfer operations without delay and moved to designated safe areas under emergency protocols. The swift response helped avoid escalation risks such as LNG release or fire.
Operations related to the Bangkok Express were also stopped, and the vessel was cooperating with port officials as the investigation proceeded. No injuries were reported. Authorities had not released details on the level of structural or equipment damage to K. Lotus, with assessments continuing and safety checks keeping activity in the affected zone temporarily suspended.
Bangkok Express is a 23,000+ TEU LNG dual-fuel container ship, about 400 m long and 61 m wide, with a deadweight of roughly 229,000 tonnes. The ship is operated by Hapag-Lloyd AG and is part of a 12-vessel LNG-fuelled series built by Hanwha Ocean. She was launched in February 2025 and is mainly deployed on deep-sea container routes.
K. Lotus is a 166 m LNG bunkering vessel with a deadweight of 12,351 tonnes. Built in 2022 by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, the Panamanian-flagged vessel is intended for port and near-shore LNG bunkering.
The incident highlighted the need for robust stack integrity controls, disciplined terminal procedures, and risk management where container operations interface directly with LNG-fuelled and LNG-bunkering activity.
