Thai Cargo Vessel Slams Into Panama Canal Lock

A Thai-flagged cargo vessel collided with a wall on the approaches to one of the Panama Canal's three sets of locks, but traffic in the Canal was unaffected, the waterway's administration said on Thursday.

The ship, Nopporn Naree, slammed into the concrete wall as it prepared to pass northbound through Pedro Miguel Locks en route to the Caribbean on Wednesday morning, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said.

No injuries were reported following the collision, but the 479-ft. (146-m) vessel's impact damaged a towing locomotive used to guide ships through the lock's chambers, the Authority said.

The vessel left Canal waters on Thursday, after taking on supplies of bunker fuel. Traffic through the 50-mile waterway was unaffected by the incident.