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Grounding avoiding river cruise ship

Grounding avoiding river cruise ship

The 135 meter long self-propelled barge Sandra W ran aground on the Rhine River near Mainz, Germany. The Sanda W was en route to Budapest from Tolkamer and had reached the mouth of the Main River. The barge was attempting to enter the Main when the river cruise ship River Ambassador appeared from under a nearby railway bridge.  The vessels nearly collided, but luckily the Sandra W was able to do an emergency maneuver avoiding it.  However, the maneuver sent the Sandra W into a  fairway buoy before the barge touched the river bottom. No reports of injuries, damage or pollution released. The River Ambassador continued on its voyage to Nuremberg from Mannheim while the Sandra W continued to Budapest.

Dongfangzhixing (Eastern Star)

Dongfangzhixing (Eastern Star)

Eastern Star
Photo: abc.net.au

The 76 meter long four-deck river passenger ship Eastern Star (Dongfangzhixing) capsized and sank on the Yangtze River in the Wuhan, Damazhou area. The vessel was carrying 405 passengers, 5 travel agents and 48 crew on a holiday cruise  up the Yangtze from Nanjing to Chongqing when it was struck by a severe storm. The storm with heavy rain and strong winds caused the vessel to capsize and sink within just a few minutes.

https://youtu.be/AT_7zR6b3wE

Many passengers were still asleep on board when the vessel sank. It is believed they received no warning and were still in their cabins. Reports state only 12 of the 458 on board were rescued.  Several swam ashore while others were pulled from the water. Some required treatment for minor injuries and were taken to a local hospital. Among the survivors was the Captain and Chief Engineer of the Eastern Star. They state a cyclone struck the vessel and did not allow the vessel to send out a distress call.

Authorities responded quickly and had several rescue boats on the scene. Some 20 divers were requested to aid efforts while some 100 local fishing boats have joined in the search and rescue efforts.  A crane barge has been requested to help right the overturn hull in hopes to find survivors who may have found an airpocket.

https://youtu.be/VWMpxteCk4M

Norwegian Dawn

Norwegian Dawn

Norwegian Dawn

The 292 meter long, 7500 dwt passenger cruise ship Norwegian Dawn ran aground on a reef off Bermuda’s North Channel. The Norwegian Dawn departed from Boston for a 7 day cruise with 2,675 passengers and 1,062 crew bound for Bermuda when it suffered a power blackout in the North Channel. The cruise ship lost propulsion and drifted onto the reef. No reports of injuries or pollution release. The crew was able to restore power. Divers were requested to inspect the hull along with a tugboat to help refloat the vessel.

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