The ship that ran aground near the Svinesund Bridge on Thursday night was refloated later that day and towed to Halden. No oil was spilled into the water in connection with the accident, reports the Swedish Coast Guard.
The vessel grounded shortly after 1 am on Thursday, 16 October, under the Svinesund Bridge on the Swedish side of the border with Norway in dense fog. There were no injuries as a result of the grounding. The 90-metre vessel was loaded with timber, 90 metres long, and was en route to Halden. On board were approximately 88,000 litres of oil, of which 85,000 litres of diesel in the vessel’s fuel tanks.
The Swedish Coast Guard did not reveal the vessel’s name, but from MarineTraffic‘s live map at the time, it seemed to concern the Hagland Captain (status aground), which sails under the flag of Norway and was built in 2012.
Also read: Ship grounds under Svinesund Bridge in Sweden
Vessel refloated on the same day
On Thursday morning, divers from the Swedish Coast Guard inspected the hull of the wreck to identify damage and how the ship was grounded. They could not find anything that would prevent it from being refloated.
Shortly before 3 pm, the stricken vessel was pulled free from the shoal with the help of two hired tugboats. It was then towed to the port of Halden. The Swedish Coast Guard vessel KBV 032 from Lysekil followed the convoy to ensure that no oil leaked out. When the ship was moored in Halden, the Coast Guard was able to conclude the rescue operation.
Preliminary investigation into negligence
The Swedish Coast Guard has launched a preliminary investigation into suspected negligence in maritime traffic that is still ongoing. It is still too early to determine the cause of the grounding, but there is no suspicion of alcohol-related misconduct. The Swedish Coast Guard states it has a good understanding of the sequence of events.
Picture: Shortly after 1 am on Thursday night, a ship ran aground under the Svinesund Bridge on the Swedish side of the border with Norway in dense fog (photo by the Swedish Coast Guard).
Also read: Bulk carrier in Sweden salvaged, two more incidents reported
