EMEA News
Ship Aground at Antwerp Blocks Traffic, No Bunker Spill Reported
Monday December 15, 2014
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) box ship, the MSC Rachele, Friday ran aground outside Dutch port Terneuzen, but no bunker spill has been reported as a result of the incident, Marine Link reports.
The MSC Rachele temporarily blocked large ships from entering the nearby port of Antwerp.
Dutch emergency services responded and managed to refloat the ship at high tide, using six tugs.
Shipping restrictions in the area were expected to be lifted Friday evening.
The 101,000 deadweight tonne (dwt) MSC Rachele measures 334 metres long and is understood to have been sailing from Valencia, Spain, to Antwerp when it ran aground on a sandbank.
MSC is expected to begin operating its 2M shipping alliance with Maersk Line from January 2015.
