Due to strong winds at the port of Civitavecchia today, MSC Magnifica hit the pier minutes after the cruise ship departed with new passengers. The collision was caused by rapid change of the wind speed – from 9 to 40 knots in less than a minute, pushing the 293-meter long vessel to the pier which sustained some damage to the portside. Watertight doors were closed, at the time of the accident and passengers were called to their muster stations as a precaution measure.
Tug boats pulled MSC Magnifica back to the harbor, and the cruise ship is currently docked for further assessments of the damage. After an accident, it is standard practice to check extend of the damage and the seaworthiness of the ship. If everything is in order or can be repaired in a short time, MSC Magnifica will soon leave the port of Civitavecchia.
Passengers on board say that there was a loud bang as the ship hit the pier and some equipment, plates, and glasses ended on the floor. Unofficial report state that none of the passengers and the crew were injured.
Port Authorities in Civitavecchia said that “The situation is constantly monitored by the operations room of the Harbor and we will allow the ship to sail again only after having completed the technical checks of the naval registry that must confirm that ship covers all the requirements for navigation”.
Update: In order for the damage to be fixed, MSC Magnifica was docked overnight in Civitavecchia. Due to the bad weather some guests onboard, most of them with children decided to spend the night on land at the local hotels. The vessel has been rescheduled to depart today, April 19 at 3 PM, and will skip the arrival in Ajaccio (France).
Below is a video posted on Instagram of MSC Magnifica after the accident.
