Floating dry dock sinks during ship maintenance at Zeebrugge port

A floating dry dock sank in the port of Zeebrugge on Friday evening, the port has confirmed following a report by Flows magazine. A ship was being loaded for maintenance when the dock began to sink. The cause is currently unclear.

Flanders Ship Repair’s dry dock in Zeebrugge is used to carry out maintenance or repairs to ships. The dock is filled with water so that it sinks. A ship can then sail into it and the dock is drained. In Friday’s incident, the dock began to sink during that operation. Within minutes, it had sunk completely. 

“This morning divers went to the dock, but they have not yet found a cause,” a port spokesperson said. “They are still investigating what happened and then what should be done with the dock. 

The dock is the largest of its kind in Belgium.

^{File image of the port of Zeebrugge © PHOTO YVES HERMAN / POOL / AFP}

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