A fatal workplace accident occurred aboard the Malta-flagged Ro-Ro vessel Delphine while the ship was loading cargo at the Port of Zeebrugge, Belgium.
The incident took place at approximately 18:00 local time on June 16 at CLdN’s Albert II Dock terminal. According to Belgian police and local media reports, a 54-year-old dock worker was serving as a signalman during cargo operations when a towing vehicle operating on the cargo deck reportedly struck a stack of containers.
The impact caused the containers to shift, trapping the worker between the cargo and the vessel’s bulkhead. Emergency responders were called to the scene, but the victim succumbed to his injuries before he could be rescued.
Belgian authorities have opened a criminal investigation to determine the circumstances of the accident. Forensic specialists boarded the vessel to examine the scene, while prosecutors launched a separate inquiry into potential safety and operational factors.
Following the casualty, Delphine was temporarily detained in port to facilitate the investigation. The vessel was later cleared to continue her voyage and is now sailing towards Dublin, Ireland.
The victim was identified by local media as Georges Van Troostenberghe, a long-serving member of the port community and father of five.
The accident once again highlights the risks associated with Ro-Ro cargo operations, where terminal personnel, tug drivers and cargo handlers often work in confined spaces around moving vehicles, trailers and container stacks. Safety procedures during loading operations typically rely heavily on coordination between drivers, signalmen and vessel personnel to prevent exactly this type of crushing accident.
The current investigation will seek to establish the precise sequence of events leading to the fatal accident and determine whether any breaches of safety procedures contributed to the casualty.
