Balboa (Hafen)

Die neuesten Nachrichten

Bridge over Panama Canal closed after explosion

On April 6, 2026, an explosion at a fuel storage and loading facility next to the Bridge of the Americas, which spans the Panama Canal, killed one person and injured three others. A tanker truck loading fuel exploded at the Balboa oil terminal (La Boca area). The blast triggered secondary explosions in two nearby tanker trucks, creating a massive fireball that engulfed parts of the bridge structure and charred its surface. Vehicular traffic was flowing on the bridge at the time of the explosion, with some vehicles driving through the flames. No one on the bridge itself was injured. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, including hotspots beneath the bridge. The bridge was closed for structural inspections, while maritime traffic passing beneath it through the Panama Canal continues uninterrupted. The explosion had no impact on ship traffic in the Panama Canal below the bridge. Report with photo and video: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/bridge-explosion-near-panama-canal-kills-one-injures-two

Panama Canal tolls modified

The government of the Panama has officially approved the modification of the Panama Canal tolls structure, following a recommendation from the Panama Canal board of directors and a period of consultation with shipping line clients. The approved modifications include the tolls charged to neopanamax dry bulk vessels carrying iron ore, neopanamax dry bulk vessels transiting in ballast, the vehicle carrier/roro segment, and for the liquid bulk segment (including oil and product tankers, chemical tankers, LPG and LNG vessels).

Panama Canal Implements Speed Limits to Protect Whales

Starting August 1 and until November 30, 2019, the Panama Canal will promote the implementation of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) annual recommendations on speed and maritime transit aimed at protecting cetaceans, which include whales, dolphins and other large aquatic mammals, during their nearby seasonal migration. With these measures, ships should proceed at a speed of not more than 10 knots in specified areas. Panama has monitored this requirement since December 1, 2014 when maritime traffic separation devices (TSS) were installed by both the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean entry points to the Canal.