Ali Aykin
On the morning of May 25, the 94 meter long, 5006 dwt cargo vessel Ali Aykin (IMO: 9166510) ran aground in the Øresund near Malmö, Sweden. The Ali Aykin was headed to Setubal from Gdansk with a cargo of scrap went hard aground on a shoal after veering out of the shipping channel south of the Øresund Bridge. The cargo vessel sustained hull damage with at least one ballast tank punctured. There were no reports of injuries.
The Swedish Coast Guard conducted an aerial survey and found the Ali Aykin had not released any oil pollution. Authorities launched an investigation and conducted interviews of the crew members. One crew member was found to be intoxicated while at the helm and was later charged with gross negligence. Divers would later conduct a survey and found the cargo vessel resting on both rocks and sand with the majority of the hull firmly aground. The Coast Guard dispatched multiple environmental vessels including the 81 meter long KBV 001 (IMO: 9380441) and the 23 meter long KBV 034 (IMO: 9536650) to monitor the vessel. The concern is the 69 tons of diesel in the vessel’s fuel tanks that could be released if there is further damage to the hull.
Authorities have stated they are waiting on the vessel’s owner and insurance company to provide a salvage plan. The plan will most likely focus on removing all fuel and any other potential oil pollution before any attempts to pull the Ali Aykin free. News reports also state the vessel had been barred from the port of Halmstad, Sweden in 2024. Inspectors had found 40 deficiencies in 2024 which may play a factor in the salvage plan.
