misfortunes
After a ship accident in Emsland: freight traffic possible again
A grain freighter filled with water in front of a lock on the Dortmund-Ems Canal. photo
© NWM-TV/dpa
A sunken ship has temporarily brought traffic to a standstill on the Dortmund-Ems Canal in Emsland. Experts wanted to inspect the ship.
After the accident of a freighter that was full of water on the The Dortmund-Ems Canal near Lathen (Lower Saxony) has been reopened to shipping traffic. However, the recovery of the ship could take several days, said a police spokeswoman. Experts were expected to determine the cause of the accident. A possible cause was a leak in the ship’s anchor locker, said the police spokeswoman. But that is not yet certain.
The bow of the 67 meter long ship loaded with barley had sunk to the bottom in front of a lock over a length of 10 to 15 meters.
The two crew members were able to escape to land in time and uninjured. Rescue workers stabilized the ship and set up an oil barrier. It was initially unclear whether and how much ship diesel had already leaked into the water.