A hydrogen-fluoride leak aboard the container ship *Mia Summer II* forced the temporary suspension of traffic at Antwerp’s Deurganck Dock overnight on 14–15 July 2026. Local authorities confirmed this morning that 155 dockworkers and crew—many of them Filipino seafarers—underwent precautionary medical examinations, with 28 kept in hospital and one person in intensive care. Emergency teams from Belgium’s Civil Protection unit erected a safety perimeter while specialist contractors attempted to seal the damaged ISO tank. Although air-quality sensors outside the port registered no dangerous concentrations, river traffic in the left-bank section of the Scheldt remains paused pending clearance from the Federal Environment Agency. Logistics groups DSV and Kuehne + Nagel diverted several scheduled reefers to Zeebrugge, causing knock-on delays for fresh-produce trucks bound for Germany. For multinational supply-chain managers, the incident highlights the vulnerability of Europe’s second-largest container port at the height of the summer peak. Shippers moving hazardous goods through Antwerp are reminded of Belgium’s tightened ISPS (International Ship and Port Facility Security) checks introduced in May 2026, which require advance e-manifests and proof of emergency response plans. Port of Antwerp-Bruges CEO Jacques Vandermeiren said cranes could restart “within 24 hours” if containment succeeds, but warned that berth congestion may last several days. Insurers have activated ‘delay in start-up’ clauses, and freight forwarders advise rerouting time-critical shipments via rail to Bierset cargo airport or through Dutch terminals at Moerdijk.
Source: The Brussels Times
