On the evening of February 6 local time, a sudden safety incident occurred at the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. During unloading operations, a row of stacked containers on the German-flagged 23,000+ TEU LNG dual-fuel container ship “Bangkok Express” suddenly lost balance and collapsed. Multiple containers fell into the water, while at least five others struck the stern of the nearby moored LNG bunkering vessel "K. Lotus" at the stern.

The “Bangkok Express,” built by Hanwha Ocean for Hapag-Lloyd AG, was launched in February 2025. Measuring 400 meters in length and 61 meters in beam, it has a deadweight tonnage of 229,348 tons. During routine container unloading operations, a stacking collapse occurred while the crane was in operation, affecting adjacent areas.

The impacted vessel, the K. Lotus, is an LNG bunkering ship built in 2022 by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea. Measuring 166 meters in length and flying the Panamanian flag, it was performing bunkering operations when the accident occurred. The crew responded swiftly, immediately halting operations and evacuating, effectively preventing secondary risks such as LNG leakage.

Details regarding the damage sustained by the K. Lotus remain undisclosed at this time. Meanwhile, the Bangkok Express has concluded its port call in Rotterdam and has departed for Salalah, Oman. Port authorities have confirmed that no casualties were reported in the incident, with investigations and cleanup operations at the scene still ongoing.