News / 155 hospitalised as toxic gas leak forces Antwerp box terminals to close

MSC Mia Summer

European shippers and forwarders have been warned to expect significant disruption to operations after a toxic gas leak from a container last night forced the port of Antwerp to close.

“On 14 July, a container of hydrofluoric acid (HF or hydrogen fluoride) leaked onboard the cargo ship MSC Mia Summer II at the Deurganck dock,” a port authority statement said.

As a result, as well as more than 150 people being taken to hospital, the MSC-PSA MEPT joint-venture terminal has been shut, as has the neighbouring DP World Antwerp Gateway facility, which together account for a large portion of Antwerp’s container handling capacity.

The authority added: “A number of employees became unwell. They immediately received medical attention and were evacuated to various hospitals.

“The emergency services came en masse to the scene, and took measures to bring the situation under safe control.”

It added that further precautionary measures included the closure of the bridges over the Kieldrecht lock, shipping traffic being temporarily shut down, and the vicinity of the quay in question also closed off.

Altogether, 155 people were taken to hospital, according to the municipality of Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht (BKZ), responsible for the emergency services. Of those, 127 sustained only minor injuries and “a large number have since been discharged from hospital”.

Meanwhile, 28 victims showed more serious symptoms and remain in hospital for observation, while one is reported to have been admitted to intensive care.

Hydrogen fluoride is a very corrosive and toxic industrial chemical that occurs in both gas and liquid forms, and exposure usually occurs through skin contact or by inhalation, and can lead to burns, severe pain, irritation of the respiratory tract, coughing, and shortness of breath.

However, symptoms such as pain following skin contact or lung irritation may not appear for several hours.

According to Xeneta’s eeSea liner database, the 1,700 teu MSC Mia Summer II is deployed on MSC’s intra-Europe NWC to/from Spain and Portugal service.

Its previous call before Antwerp was Felixstowe, before it proceeded to the MPET facility, claimed to be the largest single container terminal in Europe.

Kuehne + Nagel reported: “The disruption led to delays in cargo handling and inland transport operations until authorities approved the gradual resumption of activities.”

Meanwhile, the port authority reported this morning that the evaporation of hydrofluoric acid had decreased.

“Specialised teams are ready to remove the container from the ship. For this purpose, a drip tray, filled with lime, is brought on board. Then, the container will be sealed and safely removed. During this work, the emergency services will continue to carry out continuous measurements,” it said.

“The security perimeter will be maintained for the time being. As soon as the container has been safely transferred and additional measurements confirm that there is no longer any risk, the perimeter will be gradually phased out.

“Shipping traffic will remain temporarily interrupted in the zone in question for the time being,” it added.

According to eeSea, 45 container vessels are currently en route to Antwerp, of which 33 were due to arrive today.