Out of Control Tanker Plows Into Docked Brazilian Navy Vessels
14th March 2025
Videos have emerged showing an out of control commercial oil tanker hitting a row of three Brazilian Navy patrol boats, as well as the pier, in the Port of Santos along the country’s southeastern coast last night.
The Brazilian-flagged Olavo Bilac suffered an issue with its rudder while maneuvering between piers, according to multiple Brazilian media reports citing the Port Authority of Santos. The incident happened at around 11:20 PM local time on Wednesday. The Port of Santos is situated just to the southeast of the city of São Paulo.
As can be seen in the videos below, which offer views of the incident from what appears to be a closed circuit camera at the port and the ship’s deck, the nearly 817-foot-long (249-meter-long) Aframax class tanker first went careening into a pier after the loss of rudder control. It then struck a moored patrol boat, which was then pushed into two other patrol boats.