VARIOUS: TANKER LEAKS OVER THOUSAND TONNES OF OIL AFTER COLLISION WITH FREIGHTER IN THE BALTIC SEA

Record ID: 344892

  • Title: VARIOUS: TANKER LEAKS OVER THOUSAND TONNES OF OIL AFTER COLLISION WITH FREIGHTER IN THE BALTIC SEA
  • Date: 30th March 2001
  • Summary: (U5) AT SEA, OFF DENMARK (MARCH 29, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. SLV SHIP THROUGH WINDSHIELD OF PILOT BOAT 0.06 2. SCU UNIDENTIFIED MAN AT BRIDGE OF PILOT BOAT; SCU HANDS STEERING BOAT (2 SHOTS) 0.16 3. SLV FREIGHTER, WITH DAMAGED BOW; POLICE PHOTOGRAPHING; DAMAGED FREIGHTER; MV BRIDGE OF PILOT BOAT (8 SHOTS) 1.09 4. AERIALS TANKER ZOOM INTO DAMAGE (4 SHOTS) 1.40 UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION (MARCH 29, 2001) (REUTERS) 5. MV POLICE BOAT MOORED IN HARBOUR; SCU SEA POLICE SPOKESMAN ULF ERLER CLIMBS UP LADDER, STEPS ONTO LAND (2 SHOTS) 1.50 7. SOUNDBITE (German) ERLER SAYING "At about midnight a freighter and a tanker collided, both ships are significantly damaged. The tanker has a 20-metre-long tear on the side and the freighter lost its bow. Both ships are anchored at the moment." 2.12 8. MV STERN OF POLICE BOAT 2.16 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 14th April 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: AT SEA, OFF THE COAST OF DENMARK/ UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION, GERMANY
  • City:
  • Country: Denmark AT SEA Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVA8QL62HBGTF4DA9OV2JQLEKMH
  • Story Text: A tanker has leaked over a thousand tonnes of heavy
    heating oil after a collision with a freighter in the Baltic
    Sea between Germany and Denmark.

    By Thursday (March 29) between 1,300 and 1,500 tonnes
    of oil had leaked from the tanker, which was en route to
    Gothenburg in Sweden carrying a cargo from Estonia, after the
    collision on Wednesday (March 28 ) night.

    Danish coastguards said six ships from Denmark, Germany
    and Sweden were on their way to try to contain the oil, which
    had broken up into several large slicks, being blown towards
    the southern Danish islands of Falster and Moen.

    Gale force winds were expected to make the anti-pollution
    operation difficult.

    The accident happened 13 nautical miles north of Darss, in
    the sea lane between the north German coast and the Danish
    island of Falster.

    German officials said oil was no longer leaking from the
    tanker, which was at anchor and not in danger of sinking.

    German coastguards said the tanker, the Baltic Carrier,
    was carrying a cargo of 30,000 tonnes of oil. The collision
    ripped a 20-metre hole in one of the tanks of the
    double-hulled vessel, built last year and sailing under the
    flag of the Marshall Islands.

    The freighter, the Cypriot-flagged Tern, was also still
    seaworthy. It was carrying a cargo of sugar from Cuba to
    Latvia.

    German sea police spokesman Ulf Erler gave details of the
    damage done to both vessels.

    He said: "The tanker has a 20-meter-long tear on the side
    and the freighter lost its bow. Both ships are anchored at the
    moment."
    The Environment Ministry in Germany's northeastern state
    of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern warned Denmark to expect "serious
    pollution", as slicks up to 200 metres long and spread over
    some 15 nautical miles were blown towards the Danish
    coastline.


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