Beached at Aliaga 09.03. 25 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10161211989735036&set=gm.10164371579998943&idorvanity=6884293942
News
Dresden
The damaged and failing Carola Bridge briefly shut down inland shipping on the Elbe at Dresden on the night of Feb 26, the second time in five months that barge traffic has been halted by the risk of falling concrete and steel. On Sep 11, 2024, at about 3 a.m., two spans of the Carola Bridge had collapsed. A light-rail train had just gone by, but it was past and clear of the span, and no one was injured in the collapse. The bridge was one of four main crossings of the Elbe in downtown Dresden, and the loss of the span has been disruptive for businesses and for shipping interests, which use the Elbe to access upriver regions as far as the Czech Republic. The bridge was built 1967-71. It had been inspected properly and passed all routine exams. A post-accident study by the Institute of Concrete Structures at TU Dresden determined that the collapse was caused by hydrogen-induced stress corrosion of the bridge's steel components. This form of corrosion is nearly impossible to detect with conventional methods, the study concluded, as it affects steel elements that are hidden from view. The waterway was shut for four months for demolition and removal, a task made more challenging by the discovery of WWII-era bombs at the demolition site. Later testing revealed that the cause was hydrogen-induced stress corrosion. The surviving bridge spans have similar corrosion problems, and the surviving bridge spans will have to be completely demolished and rebuilt. To ensure safety of navigation in the interim, the city has installed acoustic monitoring systems. Every time the temperature fluctuates, it exerts stress on the surviving steel cables and raises the risk of another critical failure. The city has hired a contractor to complete the demolition of the rest of the bridge on an expedited basis, in hopes of finishing the job by the end of 2025. For now, ships are free to pass through during a limited two-hour slot from 9-11 a.m. each day. They must pre-register, and only necessary crew may be on board during the transit. Report with photo and video: https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/wirtschaft/carolabruecke-spannstahl-schifffahrt-dresden-100.html
STENA IMMACULATE
There are still flames visible on the main deck of the 'Solong', as salvage operations are being arranged for both vessels. A tug line is now in place in an effort to hold the 'Solong' in a safer position offshore. Firefighting is focusing on the main deck. A salvage plan is being developed. For the 'Stena Immaculate', which remains at anchor, the fire on the vessel is greatly reduced with no flames visible. A comprehensive counter pollution response is in place, as the threat from the previously identified Dangerous Goods on board has reduced significantly. The Coastguard continues to engage actively with Humberside Police, salvors, the port authorities and other agencies to protect the public and the environment as far as possible while continuing to respond to the developing situation. The 59 year old captain of the container ship was arrested by the Humveraide police, the owner of the 'Solong', the German firm Ernst Russ. They say that he, along with the rest of the crew, are assisting the investigation. Reports with photo and video: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cgq1pwjlqq2t https://www.dw.com/en/north-sea-ship-collision-man-arrested-over-gross-negligence/a-71891930
ROTSUND
The lifeboats 'Spirit of Fred Olsen' from Kyle of Lochalsh and the 'Stanley Watson Barker' from Portree were called out on March 10, 2025, at 2:18 a.m., after the 'Rotsund', en route from Haugesund to Kyle, had dragged her anchor and ran aground in the Breakish area of the Isle of Skye. The UK Coastguard paged the crews after receiving a call from the vessel. Initially the service vessel 'Gina Mary', under contract for Mowi, and the'Kathryn Matheson', a 15 meter-NabCat-catamaran of Bakkafrost Scotland, were mobilized from Kyle Harbour to stand by. The Kyle lifeboat 'Spirit of Fred. Olsen' launched at 2:25 a.m. and made best speed towards the scene through choppy weather. The lifeboat arrived on scene at 2:40 a.m., and found that the vessel was aground at the stern, and was being pushed ashore by the wind and choppy seas with a risk of the vessel turning broadside. The lifeboat crew made contact with the vessel’s crew to check nobody was injured, and began a visual inspection of the hull of the vessel to ensure there was no obvious damage or pollution. The crew of the cargo vessel were trying various things to free themselves, so the lifeboat stood by to provide safety cover, should they be needed. The Portree lifeboat arrived approximately an hour after the Kyle lifeboat. With the rising tide, the 'Rotsund' managed to use her own thrusters and engine to take herself off the rocks at 4:15 a.m, and made her way into deeper water to find a safe place to anchor. Both lifeboats stood by to ensure that the vessel and crew were no longer in danger and there was no pollution risk. At 5:2 5 a.m, the UK Coastguard stood Kyle lifeboat down, but kept the Portree boat on scene to provide safety cover until a Coastguard tug arrives on scene. Kyle lifeboat then returned to station at 5:40 a.m. where the crew refuelled the boat and made it ready for service again. At midday, the emergency tug ''Ievoly Black' (IMO: 9439242 ) and the repair vessel 'Gina Mary' (IMO: 9818761) towed the vessel to the Kishorn Port & Dry Dock Ltd. Inverlussa's 26-metre feed supply vessel "Havgull" had received a request to tow the "Rotsund", but did not have the capacity to do so. The request was relayed to the company's head office on Mull, which then dispatched the "Gina Mary", which managed to take the cargo ship in tow and move it to Kishorn Port. Reports with photos: https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2025/march/10/kyle-and-portree-rnli-crews-called-to-80-metre-cargo-vessel-which-ran-aground https://www.skipsrevyen.no/rotsund-ulykke/norsk-lasteskip-pa-grunn-utenfor-skottland/1907687?fbclid=IwY2xjawI9LRVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHVxzPsslQCIfZksBM11xPN7ZXgqNYBTNtvkpZd7H6i5N7Fggx__zD4mMYg_aem_3GD97bGza0o6vQsOjWR1Yw
Hamburg
On March 2, 2025, the port authorities in Hamburg responded to a major oil spill in Kattwyk Port, after a significant leak was reported. 42,000 liters of an oil-water mixture leaked into the Elbe river from a heavy oil tank at the Green Port, a company specializing in petroleum residue management. The spill contaminated more than 90,000 cubic meters of water. The firefighters, water police, and environmental authorities deployed floating oil barriers to prevent its further spread. Aslo a water-air barrier was activated to stop the pollution from reaching the Elbe’s main current. A police aircraft equipped with special cameras was also monitoring the situation.
Kolding
Onb Feb 18, 2025, a fire broke out in HJHansen's scrapyard at the port of Kolding. 50 firefighters fought the flames throughout the day, which they brought under control on the evening. It was a complicated extinguishing operation, as pouring water on the burning scrap heap did not have much effect, as the water ran away on the surface of the items in the pile. With the assistane of two cranes, the emergency services were able to separate the pile into smaller fractions. The firefighters contnued working on extinguishing the fire during the night, and they have finished only on Feb 19. Packubgup their equipment, took another couple of hours. Six people were injured in the fire when they were hit by flying fragments. Three of these were taken to the hospital for a check-up, and it was found that no one was seriously injured. Report with photo: https://www.soefart.dk/article/view/1147088/skrotbrand_i_kolding_er_slukket_seks_kom_til_skade
SOLONG
There are still flames visible on the main deck of the 'Solong', as salvage operations are being arranged for both vessels. A tug line is now in place in an effort to hold the 'Solong' in a safer position offshore. Firefighting is focusing on the main deck. A salvage plan is being developed. For the 'Stena Immaculate', which remains at anchor, the fire on the vessel is greatly reduced with no flames visible. A comprehensive counter pollution response is in place, as the threat from the previously identified Dangerous Goods on board has reduced significantly. The Coastguard continues to engage actively with Humberside Police, salvors, the port authorities and other agencies to protect the public and the environment as far as possible while continuing to respond to the developing situation. The 59 year old captain of the container ship was arrested by the Humveraide police, the owner of the 'Solong', the German firm Ernst Russ. They say that he, along with the rest of the crew, are assisting the investigation. Reports with photo and video: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cgq1pwjlqq2t https://www.dw.com/en/north-sea-ship-collision-man-arrested-over-gross-negligence/a-71891930
STENA IMMACULATE
The container m/v 'Solong' (IMO: 9322554), en route from Grangemouth to Rotterdam, and the 'Stena Immaculate', en route from Agio Theodoroi to Killingholme with a cargo of A-1 jet fuel for the US defence department, were in allision on the North Sea, about 13 nautical miles off the coast of Lincolnshire, on March 10, 2025, at 9.48 a.m. The 'Solong' hit the 'Stena Immaculate' at a speed of 16 knots, having maintained the same course over hours. The 'Solong' did even not immediately stop and drove into the tanker's side for what seemed like 10 minutes. It appeared nobody was on the bridge of the 'Solong' at the moment of the allision. There were multiple explosions and a massive fireball following the impact. Both ships were soon ablaze. The flames immediately began erupting from a ruptured tank, and the crew jumped into action, putting on protective gear to battle the blaze. Ater moments of fighting the inferno, they knew it was a lost cause, and a decision was made to abandon the ship and get into a lifeboat. Some of the sailors even had singed hair because the flames were so close. Some of the crew scrambled to the life rafts taking only what they had on them. The HM Coastguard was co-ordinating the emergency response. The Humber Coastguard broadcast a radio call asking for nearby ships with firefighting equipment, or which could help with search and rescue operations. A helicopter took off from Humberside and headed to the scene alongside the RNLI lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Maplethorpe and Cleethorpes, and an HM Coastguard fixed wing aircraft, and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability. The 'Svitzer Josephine' (IMO: 8919219) was the first to answer the Mayday call and accepted responsibility to proceed at best speed, with FiFi 1 capabilities. On the whole, three of Svitzer'S emergency response vessels responded, besides the 'Svitzer’s Josephine' the 'Svitzer Harty' (IMO: 9366861) and 'Svitzer Madeline' (IMO: 9127368), arriving simultaneously on scene. By 11.40 a.m. the Cleethorpes boat had been stood down while the boats from Bridlington, Mablethorpe and Skegness continued to support search and rescue efforts. The 'Stena Immaculate' was anchored in pos. 53° 44' N 000° 24' E, when the container ship ran into its side. It is not clear if any has entered the water or been burnt, but jet fuel has been released from the tanker into the sea from a ruptured tank. The 'Stena Immaculate' had come from a refinery in Corinth and did not to have delivered its oil before the allision. The ship was laden with about 142,000 barrels when it left Corinth, in support of the US Department of Defense. The crew of the 'Stena Immaculate' abandoned the vessel following multiple explosions onboard. On the whole 36 mariners have been brought ashore in Grimsby. One member of the 'Solong 'crew was still missing as night fell, according to the ship's Hamburg-based owner, Ernst Russ. The search is still underway. 13 of the 14 crew members of the 'Soliong' were among those who have been brought safely ashore. The first ship, the 'Windcat 33', arrived with 13 people on board. The offshore windfarm vessel had been in the vicinity when the allision took place. It was followed by 10 casualties on a pilot boat operated by Associated British Ports, which owns the Port of Immingham, and a third vessel - a pilot boat - with the remaining casualties. There was a line of ambulances in Grimsby waiting to take them to the Princess Diana hospital. The.emergency crews assessed 36 people at Grimsby's North Quay. Nobody was required to go to hospital. Set up in 2023 under the Biden Government, the US Maritime Administration agency’s Tanker Security Program (TSP) has a number of commercial ships that are guaranteed to be available for US Government work at short notice. The 'Stena Immaculate' was one of three vessels made available to the scheme in 2023 by American company Crowley, which manages the ships’ day-to-day operations through a joint venture with the Swedish owners Stena. The ship’s managing agent is the US company Crowley , which operates the vessel in a partnership with Stena Bulk. Crowley immediately initiated its emergency vessel response plan and is actively working with public agencies to contain the fire and secure the vessel. A three mile air exclusion zone has been put in place over the site of the collision off the Yorkshire coast. The Government issued a restriction that effectively bans pilots from flying over the accident site, which is a short distance north-east of Spurn Point on the northern bank of the Humber estuary. Pilots are forbidden to fly within the designated area without the permission of the Coastguard, said a notice to airmen. The zone extends up to 2,000ft above sea level. All four of the ports in the Humber have closed while rescuers and firefighting vessels carry out their duties. Associated British Ports are assisting the HM Coastguard and other relevant agencies with the response to the maritime incident in the North Sea. All vessel movements are currently suspended in the Humber. P&O Ferries said its departure times for scheduled sailings were unconfirmed. The company intends to operate those ships once the port is re-opened to traffic. Wildlife rescue groups are preparing for the impact on an oil spill along the east coast of Yorkshire. The Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue committee had met to discuss preparations to rescue oiled wildlife, particularly birds and are currently adapting the oil spill response protocols – originally designed for factory spills – to ensure to be prepared for the incident and have set up a dedicated oiled wildlife hotline for reporting affected animals in Cleethorpe. The group also urged locals to report sightings of oiled birds. Greenpeace UK was monitoring the situation. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has deployed a team to conduct a preliminary assessment, Preliminary reports suggested that poor visibility may have played a role in the allision. The 'Stena Immaculate’s heading was approx around 065⁰ when she was hit on her port side by the 'Solong' at 9:48:07 a..m. between the rear half of the 'Stena Immaculate’s length. After the collision, the tanker’s heading turned to heading 131⁰ (T) and took all of the 'Solong’s speed away. Both ships appeared to have remained in contact for around four minutes dragged south-east until 9:52:42 a.m. Maritime security sources said there was no indication of any malicious activity or other actors involved in the accident. Reports with photos and video: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cgq1pwjlqq2t https://bridlingtonecho.co.uk/major-shipping-incident-on-north-sea-off-bridlington-after-vessels-collide/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI7yUZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHUcbXuiYQMpLIczmEkMDD_-qLUGjeO_oMbyRv1VstFSFcXUpopLnBn7Tdg_aem_nTIyWjk22xLIlCy9IrM0JA https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/north-sea-stena-immaculate-oil-tanker-cargo-collision-yorkshire-b2712260.html https://www.offshore-energy.biz/foul-play-among-suspected-reasons-behind-oil-tanker-cargo-ship-north-sea-collision/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/10/oil-tanker-cargo-ship-collide-north-sea/ https://news.sky.com/story/what-we-know-about-north-sea-oil-tanker-and-cargo-ship-collision-13325883 https://uk.news.yahoo.com/live/oil-tanker-crash-north-sea-latest-news-122624396.html
Rostock
In Rostock, the fire brigade was called to the site of the crane manufacturer Liebherr in the overseas port on the evening of Feb 26, 2025. Parts of a control station and attachments of a crane used to transport bulk goods were on fire. Since the fire was several meters high, extinguishing the flames was challenging. After the power supply was switched off, the fire in the crane driver's cabin was fought with a pipe. The fire brigade's quick intervention prevented the fire from spreading further. There were no injuries during the operation. 40 members of fire and rescue stations 2 and 3 and the Gehlsdorf volunteer fire brigade were on duty. It was assumed that a technical defect had caused the fire. The extent of the damage was still unclear. Investigations were ongoing. The material damage was estimated to be around 100,000 euros.
Dresden
Demolition work on the collapsed Carola bridge in the city of Dresden was suspended on Feb 18, 2025, after new fractures were discovered in the structure, with shipping traffic on the Elbe river also halted again. An installed acoustic emission monitoring system had detected steel fractures in two sections of the bridge that were not directly affected by its partial collapse on Sep 11, 2024,due to stress corrosion cracks caused by moisture in a section of the structure, leading to inland shipping traffic on the affected section of the Elbe being suspended for five months. The authoritieshad only reopened the passage under the bridge in central Dresden for inland commercial shipping three weeks ago, with free passage in a one-way system planned from Feb 18. However, the passage has been completely closed again since that morning after the measuring system installed to permanently monitor the collapsed bridge signalled movement. The authorities were now waiting for an engineering firm to assess whether the bridge will hold and whether ship traffic may be allowed to pass under it. The dredger 'Domarin' was meanwhile working on the fairway. Reports with photos: https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/sachsen/dresden/dresden-radebeul/carolabruecke-durchfahrt-schiffe-elbe-sperrung-100.html https://www.dnn.de/lokales/dresden/carolabruecke-dresden-noch-mehr-schaeden-entdeckt-L2PS2IHRPBDKLPP5JWNNUUHEH4.html https://www.projectcargojournal.com/transport-installation/2025/02/19/first-project-cargo-moves-on-the-elbe-following-carola-bridge-collapse/