Stiro
On December 20, the 100 meter long self-propelled barge Stiro ran aground on the Rhine between Voerde and Rheinberg, Germany. The Stiro, loaded with a cargo of gravel, had become stuck on the river near Götterswickerhamm and was unable to free itself. No reports of injuries or pollution released. Nearby traffic on the Rhine was blocked. It was determined that the Stiro would need to be lightered before it could be pulled free.
The following day, a crane barge arrived on scene and begun to lighter some 250 tons of gravel from the Stiro’s cargo hold. A few hours into the lightering, the crane touched a high voltage cable that were above the vessels. One cable broke while another electric cable was damaged. No report of injuries. The crane barge was able to complete lightering operations later that day. The Stiro was able to refloat a short time later. The electrical cables were replaced a few days later. Reports state the damage was over 100,000€.