Suddenly! Volcano erupts in a flash, sea ice hits ship in surprise attack 突发！火山瞬间喷发，海冰突袭撞船

Recently, two unforeseen events have posed enormous challenges to shipping and port operations. Japan's Sakurajima volcano erupted “explosively”, filling the area with a large amount of ash; at almost the same time, a construction vessel in Dalian lost power due to sea ice impact, trapping three crew members. These two incidents had serious impacts on neighboring shipping and ports in different ways.

近日，两起意外事件给航运和港口运营带来巨大挑战。日本樱岛火山“爆炸性” 喷发，大量火山灰弥漫；几乎同一时间，大连海域一艘工程船因海冰撞击失去动力，3 名船员被困。这两起事件，分别从不同方面对周边航运及港口造成严重影响。

Sakurajima volcano erupts, shipping safety alarm sounded

樱岛火山喷发，航运安全拉响警报

Image source: Screenshot of "Nan Nippon Shimbun" report

图片来源：“南日本新闻”报道截图

At approximately 16:10 local time on February 3, an “explosive” eruption occurred at the summit crater of Mount Nandake in Sakurajima, Kagoshima City, Japan. The eruption produced a large amount of ash, and the column of smoke rose to an altitude of 800 meters above the crater and dispersed in a southeasterly direction. According to the regular ash forecast, ash deposition is expected in the vicinity of the volcano from the night of February 3 to February 4. Sakurajima volcano has erupted 24 times since 2025, and at present the eruption alert level is still maintained at 3, and mountaineering activities are restricted.

当地时间 2 月 3 日 16 时 10 分许，日本鹿儿岛市樱岛的南岳山顶火山口发生了 “爆炸性” 喷发。此次喷发产生了大量火山灰，烟柱上升至火山口上方 800 米的高度，并向东南方向飘散。根据定时的火山灰预报，火山附近地区在 2 月 3 日夜间至 2 月 4 日有火山灰沉降。2025 年以来，樱岛火山已经喷发了 24 次，目前喷发警戒级别仍维持在 3 级，登山活动受到限制。

Kyushu Regional Transportation Bureau issued an emergency response announcement, all terminals at Kagoshima Port stopped loading and unloading (including international container terminals and ferry terminals); 12 ships at berth were delayed in departing from the port, and 3 foreign vessels were diverted to Miyazaki Port; and 3 container ships on the China-Korea route detoured around Toyoho waterway, which would increase the voyage by 18 hours.

九州地方运输局发布紧急应对公告，鹿儿岛港所有码头停止装卸（含国际集装箱码头和渡轮码头）；12艘在泊船舶延迟离港，3艘外轮转港至宫崎港；中韩航线3艘集装箱船绕行丰后水道，将增加18小时航程。

Volcanic eruptions produce large quantities of ash that pose a serious threat to the safety of shipping in the surrounding waters. Volcanic ash reduces atmospheric visibility, making it difficult for ships to clearly identify shipping lanes during navigation. At the same time, once the hard tiny particles in the volcanic ash are inhaled by the ship's engine, it is very likely to damage the internal precision parts of the engine, leading to the failure of the ship's power system and jeopardizing the safety of navigation. For ports, the large amount of volcanic ash deposition will cover all kinds of port facilities, such as cranes, conveyor belts, etc., affecting the normal operation of equipment and reducing the efficiency of port cargo handling. If a volcanic eruption triggers secondary disasters such as tsunamis, the port infrastructure will suffer a devastating blow, even leading to the forced closure of the port.

火山喷发产生的大量火山灰，对周边海域航运安全构成严重威胁。火山灰降低大气能见度，使船舶在航行过程中难以清晰辨别航道。同时，火山灰中坚硬的微小颗粒一旦被船舶发动机吸入，极有可能损坏发动机内部精密部件，导致船舶动力系统故障，危及航行安全。对于港口而言，火山灰的大量沉降会覆盖各类港口设施，如起重机、传送带等，影响设备正常运转，降低港口货物装卸效率。若火山喷发引发海啸等次生灾害，港口基础设施将遭受毁灭性打击，甚至导致港口被迫关闭。

Sea ice hits ship, sea rescue scrambles for time

海冰撞船，海上救援争分夺秒

Image source: "Dalian Evening News" report

 图片来源：“大连晚报”报道

Almost at the same time, at 16:39 on February 3, Liaoning Dalian Marine Police Bureau Zhuanghe workstation received an emergency alarm. On the way back to Zhuanghe harbor, an engineering vessel was hit by sea ice, the vessel's power system was damaged and lost power, and 3 crew members were trapped at sea. After receiving the alarm, the Zhuanghe workstation quickly started the “emergency response mechanism in case of marine distress”, and 8 law enforcers immediately rushed to the incident sea area by law enforcement motorboats. As the alarmist could not provide accurate latitude and longitude, the law enforcement officers successfully located the vessel in distress through a variety of technical means. 17:20, the law enforcement motorboat arrived at the scene, but due to the ebb tide caused by the depth of water is too shallow to approach. After coordination with the Dalian Maritime Bureau, Wanzong Rescue Team deployed a rubber boat and eventually rescued the three trapped crew members.

几乎与此同时，2 月 3 日 16 时 39 分，辽宁大连海警局庄河工作站接到紧急报警。一艘工程船舶在返回庄河港途中，遭遇海冰撞击，船只动力系统受损，失去动力，3 名船员被困海上。接警后，庄河工作站迅速启动 “海上遇险应急响应机制”，8 名执法员即刻乘坐执法摩托艇赶赴事发海域。由于报警人无法提供准确经纬度，执法人员通过多种技术手段，成功定位遇险船只。17 时 20 分，执法摩托艇抵达现场，却因退潮导致水深过浅无法靠近。后经大连海事局协调，万众救援队出动橡皮艇，最终成功营救 3 名被困船员。

The impact of sea ice on shipping and ports should not be underestimated. At sea, the tremendous impact of sea ice can directly damage the hull structure of a ship, as in the case of the engineering vessel in this incident, which lost its mobility after its power system was damaged. In addition, sea ice increases the resistance to navigation and reduces maneuvering flexibility, making it easier for ships to deviate from their intended routes and increasing the risk of collision. In the harbor area, sea ice may block the navigation channel, making it impossible for ships to enter and exit normally. Ports need to invest a lot of resources to break through the ice and clear the obstacles in order to maintain the smooth flow of navigation channels. In addition, sea ice may also cause damage to port facilities such as piers and wharves, affecting the normal operation of ports.

海冰对航运和港口的影响同样不容小觑。在海上，海冰的巨大冲击力可直接损坏船舶的船体结构，像此次事件中的工程船，动力系统受损后失去行动能力。而且，海冰使船舶航行阻力剧增，操控灵活性大幅降低，船只易偏离预定航线，增加碰撞风险。在港口区域，海冰可能堵塞航道，使船只无法正常进出。港口需投入大量资源破冰清障，以维持航道畅通。此外，海冰还可能对港口的码头、栈桥等设施造成破坏，影响港口的正常运营。

The eruption of the Sakurajima volcano in Japan and the collision of ships with sea ice in Dalian waters have sounded the alarm for shipping and port safety management. Relevant departments need to further strengthen the monitoring and early warning, improve the contingency plan, enhance the ability to respond to such emergencies, and ensure the safety of shipping and stable operation of ports. If you encounter any emergency situation at sea, please feel free to contact E-PORTS, our professional team will try our best to provide you with timely and effective help and support.

此次日本樱岛火山喷发与大连海域海冰撞船事件，为航运和港口安全管理敲响了警钟。相关部门需进一步加强监测预警，完善应急预案，提升应对此类突发事件的能力，保障航运安全与港口的稳定运营。如果遇到海上突发情况，请随时联系 E - PORTS，专业团队将竭力为您提供及时有效的帮助与支持。