Cargo ships runs aground
Photo: Aleksander Wilken
A cargo ship has run aground at Håøy in Meland, north of Bergen.
“There are no known leaks and no injuries,” said rescue leader Erik Willassen with the Rescue Coordination Center, told NRK.
According to police divers who have examined the hull, the ship has a hole that is one meter below the waterline. The water is flowing into a ballast tank and is staying there for now, so there is no danger that the ship will sink.
According Willassen with the HRS, the ship is trying to get off the ground on its own, and does not need help.
An inspector from the Norwegian Maritime Directorate is on his way, and the ship will not sail on until everything is cleared with them.
Five people are onboard the 50 meter long cargo ship, which sails under the name “Straumvik”. The ship usually carries sand and gravel, but was empty when the grounding occurred.
“This is a salvage, not a rescue,” says Willassen.
It is unclear what speed the ship was going when it hit the ground, but it has a crusing speed of 8-9 knots, said Jan Steimler of the Hordaland police district.
Police, fire and ambulance were on their way before the 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
“It has been reported by several sources that the boat is stable,” said operations manager of the Hordaland police district, Frode Koltveit, to NRK.
The police were notified about the incident at 4:42 p.m. So far it is not clear how the ship ran aground.
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