The 110 meter long self-propelled barge Stolt Basel went aground on the Rhine River near Koblenz. The master of the vessel had made a navigation error and went out of the navigation channel. Initial attempts to refloat the vessel failed until two tugs were able to refloat the Stolt Basel later the same day. No reports of injuries to the five man crew, damage or pollution released. The Stolt Basel was en route to Rotterdam from Ludwigshafen in ballast.
The 125 meter long self-propelled tanker-barge Nancy collided head-on with a container barge on the Rhine River near Emmerich, Germany. Both vessels bows were damaged above the waterline. Two crewmen were injured, but did not medical assistance. No reports of pollution being released. Reports state there was dense fog at the time which had reduced visibility to just 200 meters. Both vessels had radar and navigation equipment on board. The water police is conducting an investigation into the incident.
The 193 meter long towboat Veerhaven II suffered water ingress while enroute to Schwegern with four empty barges on the Rhine River. The water ingress was discovered in the bow of the towboat caused by the vessel’s anchor had been twisted allowing the anchor to pierce the hull. The Veerhaven II was escorted by three fire boats to Ruhrort for repairs. At the shipyard, the Veerhaven II suffered another leak releasing some 3,000 liters of diesel fuel into the harbor. Local firefighters deployed booms to contain the spill. Divers were able to make repairs to prevent any further fuel from escaping from the towboat. Authorities dispatched a special vessel that will be able to pump and contain the contaminated water. No reports of injuries.
View video on the cleanup efforts
