A major collision occurred on May 13 on Indonesia’s Mahakam River involving the container vessel Spil Ratna and the cargo ship Meratus Kolawa. Both vessels sustained significant damage, while several containers fell into the river.
The accident took place on a narrow section of the river connecting Samarinda with upstream areas. According to preliminary reports, Spil Ratna was departing from Samarinda when it collided with Meratus Kolawa, which was en route to Balikpapan.
During the impact, the starboard bow of Spil Ratna struck the starboard side of Meratus Kolawa. The collision caused major structural damage above the waterline, severely tearing part of the cargo vessel’s hull.
As a result of the accident, eight containers fell overboard and were carried away by the strong river current. Indonesian authorities warned that the drifting containers could pose a serious hazard to navigation along one of the country’s busiest inland waterways.
Indonesia’s port authority (KSOP) dispatched emergency response teams to locate and secure the missing containers. Local fishermen and small boat operators in the area were also placed on high alert as search and monitoring operations continued.
No injuries or environmental pollution have been reported. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
