The 152 meter long, 10600 dwt container ship Heinrich Schepers ran aground on the Kiel Canal near the bridge at Grünental, Germany. While en route to Kotka from Hamburg, the boxship suffered engine damage. The crew attempted an emergency anchorage, but the vessel ran up on the northern embankment and became stuck. No reports of injuries. Traffic on the Kiel Canal around the Heinrich Schepers was halted as the boxship blocked the fairway.
The 46 meter long, 489 gt fishing vessel Hsiang Fuh No. 6 caught fire in the Indian Ocean some 736 kilometers off Durban South Africa. The blaze could not be contained and the crew sent out a distress call before all 30 persons on board abandoned ship into the vessel’s two life rafts.
The message was relayed to the South African Maritime Safety Authority who notified nearby vessels. The container ship Ever Diadem, bulk carrier Hampton Bay and bulk carrier SBI Antares responded. Sixteen crew were rescued by the Ever Diadem while 14 were picked up by the SBI Antares. Both vessels proceded to Durban with the survivors. One crew member had sustained serious burns.
Reports state the Hsiang Fuh No. 6 was last sighted still burning and afloat. Authorities have issued a navigation warning around the area.
On May 27, the 89 meter long, 3609 dwt cargo vessel Hydra became disabled on the Kiel Canal near Rüsterbergen, Germany. The Hydra was en route to Delfzijl when it suffered a fire in the engine room that damaged the vessel’s switchboard. The crew was able to extinguish the blaze, but the fire disabled the cargo vessel. The Hydra drifted until it ran aground onto a canal embankment. Two tugs were dispatched to the scene and took the Hydra under tow back to port. No reports of injuries or pollution released.