As the world’s first 19,000 TEU ship sets sail on its maiden voyage on Monday, concerns are being raised that mega container ships pose a substantial risk to cargo and crew due to their sheer size and inability of supporting infrastructure to come to their aid in the event of an accident.
Among the concerns being raised are the scarcity of salvage tugs able to tow a mega ship to safety, the difficulty of locating and fighting fires if they ignite deep within a hold, and the relatively small number of ports capable of handling a ship if it got into trouble and needed a port of refuge.