US aircraft carrier involved in collision with bulk carrier near Suez Canal

Photos of damage to the bulker Beskitas-M are being shared on social media, purportedly from one of the vessel’s crew, with one X user, Sal Mercogliano, speculating the vessel’s "mooring line spool has been sheared off," with additional "damage to the starboard forward hatch combing". Mr Mercogliano posted the image (left) to his feed on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

Mr Mergogliano, interviewed by a US television conglomerate Fox’s streaming service LiveNow from Fox, said he was concerned the damage to the bulker could indicate Besiktas-M struck the US aircraft carrier under the flight deck overhang, which threatened damage to the vessel’s "down elevator or some of the machinery intakes and discharges". He further speculated the aircraft carrier was likely to be en route back to the Red Sea following interruptions to hostage exchanges in the recently agreed cease fire between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas in the Palestinian territory in Gaza. USS Harry S Truman was stationed in the Red Sea for some of the nearly year-long period of attacks on commercial shipping by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

2003-built Beskitas-M is reportedly back underway following the collision. The Equasis database and VesselsValue list the vessel’s registered owner as Marshall Islands-headquartered Black Hawk Shipping, linked to Iskenderun Ship Management in Turkey. Riviera has attempted to contact the owner and a representative for the vessel’s listed shipmanager Synergy Ship Management, with no response.  

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