A barge and a fishing boat collided in waters near the north side of the airport runway yesterday afternoon, a Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA) said in a statement yesterday.
According to the statement, the Macau Vessel Traffic Control Centre (Macau VTS) was notified about the collision yesterday and alerted bureau officials to assist in the situation. The statement said that the collision caused a hole on the left side of the barge, so the barge was steered towards the airport runway to prevent it from sinking. The statement noted that the fishing boat was not damaged.
The statement underlined that no one was injured in the accident, adding that Macau Customs Service officers had anchored the boats until they finished their investigation.
The statement said that the after questioning and ensuring that the barge’s damage was “under control”, the bureau permitted the barge to leave Macau and get repaired in the mainland. Meanwhile, the bureau sent vessels to escort the barge to where it will be repaired.
The statement said that after looking at the radar recording, the bureau suspected that the fishing boat violated regulations which caused the accident.
The bureau urged the shipping sector to strictly comply with marine regulations and warned skippers not to stray from their intended course otherwise it could lead to serious accidents and legal consequences.
This handout photo provided by Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA) yesterday shows the barge in Macau’s coastal waters.
