General cargo vessel has reported to run into embankment of Kiel Canal at 58 kilometer mark.
| Accident type | : Grounding |
| Vessel type | : General Cargo |
| Location | : Kiel Canal |
| Cause of grounding | : Failure of the steering gear and blockage of the rudder |
| Casualties | : None |
| Pollution | : None |
The Portuguese general cargo ship ran aground at around 0300 Local Time on Mar 13. The vessel was transiting in western direction en route from Sweden to Portugal with cargo Hazard D. The Vessel hampered traffic, but the canal was not blocked completely. The vessel did not suffer damages of the hull and breaches, hence attempts were made to refloat under own power. Reports say that these efforts failed and the ship requested assistance from the local authorities.
The local authorities responded swiftly and the vessel was refloated after several hours. The freighter is now towed to Rendsburg for further inspection and survey. There are no reports of injury or pollution.
Local reports say that the grounding was caused due to failure of the steering gear and blockage of the rudder. Further investigation on the accident is underway.
Source: shz
