The 65 meter long self-propelled sand barge Henjor allided with a bridge over the Nieuwe Maas River near Maassluis, Netherlands. The Henjor was trying to enter the inner port when the bridge was lowered too early striking the stern of the vessel. The Henjor suffered damage to its crane and deck equipment while the bridge suffered minor damage. No reports of injuries or pollution released. Reports state the bridge was closed until it can be inspected.
After 18 months lying on it’s side, the Coast Concordia is slowing sinking further into the sea. Reports state there is concern the cruise ship may collapse under its own weight. Weakened by the grounding while rust eats away at the steel hull, the vessel has compressed some 3 meters. Recent inspections have found the bow has dropped deeper into the water. Plans to remove the vessel has been stalled by harsh sea conditions, but the salvage company has announce they would have one chance to pull the vessel upright and float it away sometime mid-September. The salvage team would use multiple cranes slowly lifting the Costa Concordia over a 12 hour period.
Another note: The salvage operation extracted 96 tons of granite from the 70-meter long gash along the Concordia’s hull.
On July 15, The 175 meter long, 23493 dwt container ship Hansa Brandenburg suffered a fire in the Indian Ocean near Mauritius. The fire started after there was an explosion in one of the containers and quickly spread to nearby containers. The crew contacted the authorities and were rescued by the vessel Donau Trader. All 17 crew were safely rescued and were taken to Port Louis, Mauritius. With no one attempting to extinguish the fire, the blaze continue to grow and engulfed the vessel’s superstructure. Mauritian Authorities and Coast Guard are monitoring the situation and coordinating the situation. The Hansa Brandenburg had been en route to Durban from Singapore.
Reports state the crew did not attempt to extinguish the fire before abandoning ship. The vessel was last reported still burning and adrift
