Brazil’s Porto Alegre port underwater
The port in south Brazil is expected to be closed for around 30 days
Floods and landslides have killed 55 people in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, as well as closing the port in the state capital Porto Alegre
FLOODING has closed Porto Alegre in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Port agency Inchcape Shipping Services said the port is expected to be closed for around 30 days and that all sub-agents had moved to areas of safety outside of the city.
Originally, ISS advised that Porto Alegre and the nearby, much larger Rio Grande were both closed. ISS representatives in the area later confirmed that Rio Grande was still operational.
The most frequently discharged product at Porto Alegre is fertiliser. ISS said all cargo will be diverted to nearby Rio Grande, with 50,000-70,000 tonnes expected to be rerouted.
Two vessels are currently at port in Porto Alegre, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence data. The 2011-built, Panama-flagged, 29,638 dwt bulk carrier Apogee Spirit (IMO: 9561875) and the 2000-built, Panama-flagged, 4,999 dwt LPG carrier Kempton (IMO: 9229142) are both berthed at the port as of today.
The 2016-built, Marshall Islands-flagged, 37976 dwt, bulk carrier Synval (IMO: 9763708) is currently indicating Porto Alegre as its destination via AIS, having left Brazil's northern port of Recife four days ago.
The BBC reported 55 deaths as a result of the flooding and landslides, while 25,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes as some unofficial weather stations in Brazil recorded 50-100 cm of rain last week.
Porto Alegre’s international airport is also closed, with all flights grounded for an undetermined period.
