The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Port Authority says, a large vehicle carrier, sustained damage to its hull as it attempted to berth at the Kingstown Cruise Terminal (KCT), yesterday morning.
According to a release from the Port Authority, while the vessel remains temporarily disabled, all of its cargo was successfully discharged.
Use of the Kingstown Cruise Terminal became necessary because of the serious damage to the main Kingstown cargo pier, caused by Hurricane Beryl, the release adds.
It further says shifting cargo operations to the Kingstown Cruise Terminal was done as a temporary substitute, to ensure continuation of some aspects of maritime trade, taking into account certain functional conditions.
This incident resulted in the cancellation of a cruise ship which was due in the country yesterday.
According to the Port Authority, the position of the breach on the vessel, just above the water line presents many operational challenges and requires the professional assessment of the damage, before it can be safely moved from its present location.
The Port Authority says it is taking all necessary measures to restore operations at the Kingstown Cruise Terminal, as speedily and effectively as possible.
It adds that an investigation into the cause of the accident, will also be undertaken.
