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Cargo Ship Grounds off Sweden, Alcohol Influence Suspected

September 26, 2019, by World Maritime News

The Gibraltar-flagged general cargo ship Baltic Carrier ran aground in the evening hours of September 24 off the coast of Sweden.

Source: Wikimedia – under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license; Image by: Ross

There were no reports of oil leakages or other environmental damages, and crew onboard is safe, according to Finland-based ESL Shipping, the vessel’s charterer.

After an initial investigation, the Swedish Coast Guard said it suspects the ship’s Master was under the influence of alcohol when the unit grounded north off Helsingborg. ESL Shipping noted that the company “has zero tolerance for being under the influence of alcohol while on duty.”

The 1997-built unit was scheduled to be inspected by divers in the afternoon hours of September 25, upon which, the ship’s owner, Baltic Forest Line, would decide on the further steps.

According to AIS data provided by MarineTraffic, the 3,110 dwt vessel is still stuck off Helsingborg where it grounded while transiting from the Russian port of Svetly to Sweden’s Lidkoeping.