On the morning of September 3, the 89 meter long, 3587 dwt cargo/container vessel Jade (IMO: 9411769) ran aground on the Ghent Terneuzen Canal near Sas van Gent, Netherlands. The Jade was headed to Ghent from Bilbao when it stranded in the canal near the bridge at Sas van Gent. Multiple tugs were dispatched and were able to refloat the cargo vessel the same day. Two of the 3 tugs involved escorted the Jade to Ghent. No reports of injuries, damage or pollution released. The cause of the grounding was not disclosed, but there is speculation the Jade had suffered either engine or steering failure before the incident.
On September 1, the 38 meter long, 215 gt fishing vessel Sea Ern (IMO: 7308542) ran aground in the Izhut Bay, Gulf of Alaska off Afognak Island, Alaska. The Sea Ern had run aground off a sandy beach just a few meters off the shoreline. The fishing vessel sustained hull damage with a 12-foot by 1-foot gash in its bow. Two fuel tanks in the aft of the fishing vessel were ruptured releasing some 3,000 to 3,500 gallons of diesel fuel. A large oil sheen could be seen around the fishing vessel. There were no injuries to the 3 crew on board the vessel during the incident. The vessel MS Kennedy assisted in rescuing all 3 crew from the Sea Ern.
Photo: USCG
Authorities state that booms were deployed around a nearby fish hatchery and some sorbent materials were being used at the site of the grounding. Contractors were being deployed to help recover the pollution while stabilizing the vessel. The Sea Ern had an additional 12,790 gallons of diesel fuel and 300 gallons of other oil products still onboard. Both Alaskan authorities and the United States Coast Guard are monitoring the situation. The cause of the grounding had not been disclosed. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
On the afternoon of September 1, the 49 meter long fishing vessel Awadi (IMO: 7922283) caught fire on the Ria de Arousa while berthed in Ribeira, Spain. The fire was ignited by a spark from welders doing some maintenance work on the vessel. As the fire quickly spread through the Awadi, the 2 crew on board were able to safely evacuate to shore. By the time the local fire brigade arrived on site, the vessel was enveloped in a large cloud of smoke. Fire fighters from shore assisted by patrol vessels sprayed water on the fishing vessel, but reaching the flames below deck was difficult.
Fire fighting continued through the next day. Due to the amount of water used, the Awadi developed a strong list to starboard. Additional dewatering pumps were deployed to avoid the fishing vessel from rolling over and sinking. Reports state the fire fighting efforts allowed them to gain access to the interior of the vessel on September 2. Authorities reported the vessel was severely gutted by the flames and it would take additional days before the entire fire would be extinguished. Containment booms were placed around the vessel to contain any pollution released from the incident. The extent of damage has not been released. There were no injuries reported.
