A Liberian-flagged bulk carrier that ran aground off Swedish coast on Saturday remains grounded for the fifth day as the Swedish Coast Guard and salvage crews work to stabilize the ship and refloat it.
At 23:50 on Saturday evening the Coast Guard command center in Gothenburg received a report that a cargo ship, identified as MV Victoria had ran aground at Fladen, some 15 nautical miles from Varberg.
The ship, loaded with wheat, was en route from Rostock in Germany to Guinea, West Africa when it got grounded on a shoal.
On Sunday afternoon, the Coast Guard divers examined the vessel’s bottom and found a 3 meter tear in the ship’s hull. There were no oil spills detected, however; before the ship could be refloated it was decided to remove fuel oil in order to stabilize the bulker.
As last reported by the Coast Guard, activities are under way to remove some 550,000 litres of fuel from the grounded ship. A tug and a fuel tanker are at the scene aiding in the lightering operations.
Two emergency vessels are standing by to help in case there is a need to respond to a potential spill or any type of other environmental emergency.
Once the fuel is removed, the coast guard will proceed with the salvage and try to pull the ship free. The 46,000 DWT ship is expected to be refloated by the end of the week depending on the weather conditions.
Investigation into the cause of the ship’s grounding is under way.
World Maritime News Staff; Images: Swedish Coast Guard