The 172 meter long self-propelled barge Maranta I and the barge Maranta II went aground on the Rhine near Cologne, Germany. The vessel attempted to refloat itself, the two vessels seperated. The Maranta II drifted and collided with the 103 meter long passenger ship River Cloud 2. The River Cloud 2 suffered minor scrapes and bent radar. Traffic halted on the river until a dredger arrived on scene and lightered some cargo. The Maranta was en route from Bonn with a cargo of soy. No reports of injuries or pollution released.
The 110 meter long passenger shipBritannia suffered water ingress on the Ijssel while berthed near Zutphen, Netherlands. The Britannia was en route to Cologne from Deventer with 154 passengers when a leak was discovered in the stern portion of the vessel. The local fire brigade was requested as the vessel was unable to control the water ingress. Passengers and crew were evacuated to a nearby hotels No reports of injuries. Some 80 men including local fire and police, arrived on scene with multiple dewatering pumps. Several hours later, the pumps were able to bring the flooding under control. Booms were placed around the vessel to contain any pollution released.
Photo: nos.nl
Reports state the vessel’s hull had cracked which was around one meter wide. The passenger ship may have struck bottom as the water level at Zutphen was low or the vessel struck something floating in the water. Divers were requested to examine the vessel and placed a temporary wooden patch on the hull. The Britannia will be towed to a shipyard for repairs and allow for further investigation by authorities.
The 73 meter long passenger ship Sandnes ran aground in the Lindøy Sound near South Rogaland, Norway. The Sandnes was on a sightseeing tour when it struck bottom. The hull suffered damage and water ingress, but the vessel’s pumps were able to control the flooding. The vessel requested assistance with a lifeboat dispatched to the scene. The lifeboat had divers who inspected the hull while assisting the Sandnes in its refloating efforts. The passenger vessel was refloated a short time later and proceeded to Stavanger. No reports of injuries or pollution released.
