The 20 meter long towboat Sonny J partially sank on the Mississippi River near Vidalia, Louisiana. The towboat sank with some 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board, but the fuel tank vents remained above water. Reports state the vents have been sealed and a containment boom has been deployed around the vessel. A light sheen could be seen around the Sonny J and absorbent pads were used to collect the pollution. No reports of injuries. The cause of the sinking is under investigation.
The 146 meter long towboat Aries with two barges caught fire in the lock at Terneuzen, Netherlands. The Aries was headed to Ghent from Hansweert when a fire broke out in the engine room. The crew attempted to extinguish the blaze before calling the local fire brigade for assistance. The fire brigade was able to extinguish the fire an hour later.
Both the master and the crew had minor injures from smoke inhalation and required medical assistance. The fire caused minimal damage and the Aries was able to continue on its voyage a few hours later. No reports of pollution released.
On November 22, the 34 meter long towboat Mercur 308 with its six barges loaded with 1000 tons of wheat allided with the Türr István Bridge on the Danube River near Baja, Hungry. The Mercur 308 sank along with one barge while the other barges broke free. Local fire brigade responded and rescued all the crew. No reports of injuries. Authorities stopped traffic on the Danube around the incident during salvage operations. The cause of the allision had not been reported.
