Intercargo Bulk Carrier Casualty Accident Report 2026

(www.MaritimeCyprus.com) INTERCARGO’s annual Bulk Carrier Casualty Report examines the safety performance of bulk carriers over a rolling 10-year period in order to identify risks and improve safety for seafarers and vessel operations. The new edition of the Bulk
Carrier Casualty Report (2026) reveals that between 2016 and 2025, 17 bulk carriers of more than 10,000 deadweight tonnes (dwt) were reported lost, with the tragic loss of 71 seafarers’ lives.

In 2024, three (3) bulk carriers were lost in the in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (GOA) and in 2025 two (2) more were lost together with the loss of 8 seafarers and many injuries, as the direct consequence of missile, drone and drone boat attacks by the Houthis. INTERCARGO strongly condemns all attacks on bulk carriers in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (GOA) regions which directly contravene the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation.

Statistics analysis

Initial analysis of the statistics of the 10-year bulk carrier casualty data reveals some potential safety gaps, such as:

• Cargo liquefaction remains the greatest contributor to loss of life, accounting for 37 lives or 52.1% of the total loss of life in the past ten years.
• Groundings remain the greatest cause of ship losses, with seven (7) losses or 41.1% of the total.
• Four (4) flooding casualties (23.5% of the total) cost 34 lives - a significant 47.9% of the total number of lives lost.

Summary:

• 17 bulk carriers (of over 10,000 dwt1) have been identified as total losses for the years 2016 to 2025 with 71 lives lost as consequence.
• Five (5) bulk carrier casualties, with eight lives lost, in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden as a direct consequence of missile, drone and drone boat attacks during the period, were not included in the statistics.

Significant findings:

• 10,000-34,999 dwt: four (4) ships were lost, accounting for 23.5% of the total 17 casualties reported. These casualties cost 12 lives, or 16.9% of the total.
• 50,000-59,999 dwt: four (4) vessels lost in this range accounted for the most loss of life, with 37 seafarers losing their lives, accounting for 52.1% of the total of 71 lives during the period.
• 80,000+ dwt: five (5) ships were lost accounting for 29.4% of the total 17 casualties, with 22 seafarers losing their lives, or 31.0% of the total.
• In 2020, one Capesize and one VLOC vessel (Wakashio and Stellar Banner) were lost drawing attention on large bulk carrier safety.
• The lowest number of one (1) casualty occurred in the 60,000-79,999 dwt, and three (3) casualties in the 35,000-49,999 dwt ranges. There was no life lost as a consequence of those ship losses.

The IMO International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code was developed to improve safe transport of dry bulk cargoes. INTERCARGO and its members have been making efforts to raise safety awareness among all stakeholders including local authorities, shippers and terminals, to jointly strengthen both the technical provisions and the practical implementation of the IMSBC Code.

Equally important is improving compliance through stronger enforcement by flag and port States, targeted inspections of high-risk cargoes, and mandatory training for ship and shore personnel involved in cargo handling. Greater transparency, data sharing, and feedback from casualty investigations should also be used to continuously refine the Code, ensuring that lessons learned from bulk carrier incidents are translated into practical risk-reduction measures across the industry.

Reducing grounding incidents of bulk carriers requires a combination of improved navigational practices, enhanced voyage planning, and effective operational oversight. The effective use of navigational aids such as ECDIS and timely navigational warnings, can significantly improve situational awareness on the bridge. Equally important are well-trained bridge teams, strong bridge resource management, and clear procedures for monitoring the vessel’s position and progress, especially during port approaches and coastal navigation.

In addition, proactive involvement by shore management, including passage plan reviews and lessons learned from previous incidents, can help ensure that navigational risks are identified and controlled before they lead to grounding accidents.

To learn more, click below to download the full Intercargo 2026 report:

Source: Intercargo

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