Ship Collision in Germany Disrupts Shipping! "Collision Rumors" Spark Public Outcry 最新！德国两船碰撞致航运 “受阻”！“撞船谣言” 舆论 “失控”

Image Credit: The Internet

图片源于网络

It is reported that recently, two container ships collided in the Kiel Canal in Germany. The accident occurred early in the morning on February 6th, possibly due to low visibility caused by dense fog. The two ships collided near the Kiel North Port, in front of the Holtenau Lock.

据悉：近日，两艘集装箱船在德国基尔运河相撞。事故发生于当地时间2月6日早上，或许是因为浓雾能见度较低，两船在基尔北港附近，霍尔特瑙船闸前方相撞。

One ship was sailing from Kotka, Finland to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, while the other was heading from Rotterdam to Gdynia, Poland. The two ships were in close proximity as they passed through the lock.

一轮船正从芬兰科特卡驶往荷兰鹿特丹，另一轮船则从鹿特丹前往波兰格丁尼亚，两艘船在通过船闸时近距离交会。

At the time of the collision, the ship heading to Gdynia was preparing to enter the large northern lock chamber, while the other ship was exiting from the southern chamber.

碰撞发生时，前往波兰格丁尼亚的船正准备进入船闸的大型北闸室，而另一轮船正从南闸室驶出。

The accident forced them to temporarily interrupt their voyages. Fortunately, there were no casualties or pollution caused by the accident.

事故导致它们不得不暂时中断航程。所幸，事故未造成人员伤亡和污染。

After the accident, both ships were detained, and the Kiel Water Police launched an investigation. After several hours of questioning and inspection, the ship heading to Rotterdam was allowed to continue its journey, while the other ship was detained until the evening before it could resume its voyage.

事故发生后，两艘船都被扣押，基尔水上警察展开调查。经过数小时的询问和检查，驶往鹿特丹的轮船获准继续航行，而另一轮船则被扣押至傍晚才继续行程。

It is reported that these two container ships are likely regional vessels deployed in Northern Europe.

据悉，这两艘集装箱船很有可能都是部署在北欧地区的区域性船只。

Kiel Canal

关于基尔运河

The Kiel Canal (also known as the North Sea-Baltic Sea Canal, NOK) is one of the busiest maritime routes in the world. It starts in the southwest at the port of Brunsbüttel at the mouth of the Elbe River and ends in the northeast at the port of Holtenau in Kiel Bay, spanning the Jutland Peninsula. It is 53.3 nautical miles long and is an essential waterway connecting the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, indispensable for the Port of Hamburg.

基尔运河（又称北海-波罗的海运河NOK）是世界上最繁忙的海上运输路线。西南起于易北河口的布伦斯比特尔科克港，东北至于基尔湾的霍尔特瑙港，横贯日德兰半岛，全长53.3海里，是连接北海和波罗的海的重要航道，对于汉堡港来说必不可缺。

The opening of the Kiel Canal has significantly shortened the voyage between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, reducing the distance by 370 nautical miles compared to the route via the Øresund Strait, the Kattegat Strait, and the Skagerrak Strait.

基尔运河的开通极大地缩短了北海与波罗的海之间的航程，比绕道厄勒海峡-卡特加特海峡-斯卡格拉克海峡减少了370海里。

Collisions between ships from the port to the inland rivers are common occurrences, and last year there was an accident involving two ships colliding at the mouth of the Yangtze River.

从港口到内河两船相撞事件屡见不鲜，去年就发生了长江口两船相撞的事故。

Yangtze River Estuary Ship Collision

长江口两船相撞

On December 30, 2024, at around 22:00, a cargo ship collision occurred near Buoy No. 39 in the North Channel of the Yangtze River Estuary. The two ships involved were a 175,000-ton and an 82,000-ton vessel. One ship collided with the starboard side of the other ship, causing damage to the oil tank. Fortunately, there were no casualties or oil spills. After the accident, the two ships were towed to the Baoshan North Anchorage and the Hengsha East Anchorage, respectively.

2024年12月30日22时左右，长江口长江北槽No.39号浮附近发生了一起货船碰撞事故，分别为17.5万吨级与8.2万吨级的两船相撞。一船撞进了另一船右舷五舱位置，导致油舱被撞破。事故没有人员伤亡及漏油情况。事后，两艘船分别被拖轮护送至宝山北锚地和横沙东锚地。

Why Ports and Inland Rivers Are High-Risk Areas for Ship Collisions：

港口与内河交汇区域是船舶碰撞事故的高发区，以长江口为例，具体原因如下：

Complex hydrological environment

复杂的水域环境

The Yangtze River Estuary has narrow and winding channels with multiple shoals and reefs. For example, the North Channel of the Yangtze River Estuary is the main passage for ships entering and leaving the Port of Shanghai. The channel is narrow, and ships need to frequently adjust their headings while navigating through it.

长江口区域航道狭窄且弯曲，存在多个浅滩和礁石区域。例如，长江口的北槽航道是进出上海港的主要通道，航道宽度有限，船舶需要在狭窄的航道内频繁调整航向。

Busy Ship Traffic

繁忙的船舶交通

The Yangtze River Estuary is one of the busiest water areas in the world, with a large number of international ocean-going vessels entering and leaving the Port of Shanghai daily. At the same time, there are also many inland ships navigating within the Yangtze River channel. The high density of ships and complex traffic flow increase the risk of collisions.

长江口是全球最繁忙的水域之一，每天有大量的国际远洋船舶进出上海港，同时还有大量的内河船舶在长江航道内航行。船舶密度大，交通流复杂，增加了碰撞风险。

Complex Currents and Weather Conditions

复杂的水流和气象条件

The Yangtze River Estuary is significantly affected by tides, with large variations in water flow speed. In addition, the area often experiences dense fog and heavy rain, reducing visibility. Ships have difficulty detecting and avoiding other vessels in such conditions.

长江口受潮汐影响显著，水流速度变化大。此外，该区域经常出现浓雾、暴雨等恶劣天气，能见度低，船舶航行时难以及时发现和避让其他船舶。

Diverse Ship Types

船舶类型多样

The Yangtze River Estuary has a wide variety of ship types, including large container ships, oil tankers, bulk carriers, inland cargo ships, and passenger ships. The different maneuvering performances of these ships make it difficult to avoid collisions.

长江口的船舶类型丰富，包括大型集装箱船、油轮、散货船、内河货船、客船等。不同类型船舶的操纵性能差异大，避让难度高。

Limitations of Communication and Navigation Equipment

通信和导航设备的局限性

Despite the advanced communication and navigation facilities in the Yangtze River Estuary, signal interference is a significant issue due to the high density of ships. In addition, some inland ships have outdated equipment that may not be able to receive and transmit accurate information in a timely manner.

尽管长江口配备了先进的通信和导航设施，但由于船舶密度大，信号干扰问题较为突出。此外，部分内河船舶的设备较为陈旧，可能无法及时接收和传递准确信息。

Recently, there have been frequent ship accidents, and we should pay attention to maritime safety and strengthen accident prevention measures. However, at the same time, some self-media outlets are spreading rumors for attention which is unacceptable.

近期，船舶事故频发，我们应关注船舶安全，加强事故防范措施。然而，与此同时，一些自媒体为了流量造谣，这种行为不可取。

“Two Ships Collided’’ Rumor

“两船相撞”谣言

On February 7th, it was reported by the Newhui Branch of the Jiangmen Public Security Bureau that recently, the public security authorities legally imposed administrative penalties on Fang Mou for fabricating and disseminating online rumors.

7日江门市公安局新会分局发布，近日，新会公安依法对编造发布网络谣言的方某处以行政处罚。

On January 26th, netizen Fang Mou posted a video on a short-video platform with the caption “Two ships collided at the Pan Gu King Dock section of the He Ma Xi waterway in Muzhou Town, Xinhui District,” and claimed in the comment section that it happened on the same day. After learning about this, the Newhui Public Security quickly launched an investigation and confirmed that no such collision occurred in Muzhou Town on that day. The information was a rumor. Subsequently, the police summoned the rumor disseminator Fang Mou to the public security organ for investigation.

1月26日，网民方某在某短视频平台配文发布“新会区睦洲镇荷麻溪水道盘古王码头段发生两船相撞”的视频，并在评论区表明是当日发生的事情。获悉后，新会公安迅速展开调查，确认当日新会区睦洲镇并没有发生两船相撞的事故，该信息为谣言。随即，民警传唤谣言发布者方某至公安机关接受调查。

After interrogation, Fang Mou confessed to fabricating and disseminating the rumor on the short-video platform to gain traffic and attention. Currently, the Newhui Public Security has legally imposed administrative penalties on Fang Mou.

经审讯，方某对自己为获取流量和关注，在短视频平台发布谣言的违法行为供认不讳。目前，新会公安已依法对方某作出行政处罚。

True accidents remind us that ship safety is crucial and we must always be vigilant, enhancing preventive measures to ensure navigation safety. Meanwhile, the spread of online rumors alerts us that cyberspace is not beyond the law. Fabricating and disseminating false information not only disrupts public order but also causes unnecessary panic and harm to society. When facing online information, it is essential to remain rational and calm, refraining from creating, believing, and spreading rumors. Only in this way can we jointly create a safe, harmonious, and clear online environment. At the same time, relevant departments should further strengthen the supervision of ship safety and improve preventive mechanisms to reduce the occurrence of similar accidents.

真实事故提醒我们，船舶安全至关重要，必须时刻保持警惕，加强防范措施，确保航行安全。而网络谣言则警示我们，网络空间不是法外之地，编造和传播虚假信息不仅会扰乱公共秩序，还会给社会带来不必要的恐慌和危害。面对网络信息时，一定要保持理性和冷静，做到不造谣、不信谣、不传谣。只有这样，我们才能共同营造一个安全、和谐、清朗的网络环境。同时，相关部门应进一步加强对船舶安全的监管，完善事故防范机制，减少类似事故的发生。