The aerial view photo shows the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Glory Amsterdam which ran aground off the shore of the German North Sea island of Langeoog, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. German rescue experts hope to free the cargo ship that ran aground on a North Sea sandbank in a weekend storm. High winds lashed Central Europe on Sunday, knocking down trees, causing travel chaos and leaving five people dead. (Mohssen Assanimoghaddam/dpa via AP)
November 01, 2017 - 12:49 AM
BERLIN - German authorities say they hope to tow free a 225-meter (738-foot) cargo ship that ran aground on a North Sea sandbank before the weekend.
The Panama-flagged bulk carrier Glory Amsterdam drifted onto the sandbank off the island of Langeoog during a storm on Sunday, with 22 crew members on board. Rescuers originally hoped to free it at high tide a day later but determined that the water around the ship was too shallow for tugboats.
Germany's central command for maritime emergencies said late Tuesday that it has put in place a rescue plan that involves using up to 1,000-meter (3,280-foot) tow lines and pumping ballast water out of the ship. It doesn't plan to try pumping out the 1,800 tons of fuel oil and 140 tons of diesel.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017