A Chinese-controlled heavylift vessel suffered damage after its cargo of two giant gantry cranes collapsed while the ship was off Spain, according to various media reports.

The casualty involving the 26,500-dwt heavy load carrier Shang De Wu Yi Shan (built 2024) resulted in a loss of the cargo off the port of A Coruna, according to Spanish news agency EFE.

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The vessel, controlled by three low-profile Chinese companies, had contacted authorities on Friday as it carried the cranes from Germany to Thailand.

The ship’s crew, who sought refuge near A Coruna because of weather conditions, informed officials that a cargo shift had destroyed the cranes, Spanish coastguard agency Maritime Rescue said on X.

The agency mobilised a tug and the search-and-rescue vessel Salvamar Betelgeuse to the scene.

“Our tugboat Alonso de Chaves escorted it as a precaution, but in the end it was not necessary to intervene, as it arrived on its own without any problem,” Maritime Rescue said, according to El Debate newspaper.

Photos and videos in the Spanish press show crane parts on the deck of the vessel on Monday as it sat anchored in the Ares river. EFE reported that the vessel is awaiting favourable conditions to proceed to its destination for repairs.

According to Equasis, the Shang De Wu Yi Shan is the only vessel in the fleet of Chinese shipowner Fujian Shangde Shipping and commercial manager Guangzhou Zhonghai Ship Management. Its technical manager is Hainan Yuzhou International, which is tied to a fleet of five vessels.

The ship flies the Chinese flag, is classed by the China Classification Society and has insurance from UK P&I Club.

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