GALLERY: CSCL Indian Ocean Still Stuck, Dredging Starts at Grounding Site

The dredging activities at the site of the grounded CSCL Indian Ocean started yesterday afternoon as the authorities plan another attempt of moving the vessel, German Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (CCME) said.

The authorities pumped out some 2000t of heavy oil from the grounded vessel, owned by Shanghai-based China Shipping Container Lines, via the German bunkering ship Dresden, and plan to remove CSCL Indian Ocean’s ballast water and other supplies in order to make the vessel lighter.

Tugs Dolphin and Boxer are also on site to monitor the operations.

After these activities, CCME will try to tow the vessel on Tuesday morning.

The authorities decided to lighten the 184,320 dwt vessel after a number of attempts to refloat it failed.

CSCL Indian Ocean should be towed to the port of Hamburg after it gets freed.

The 2015-built vessel, one of the world’s biggest boxships, grounded on the Elbe river in Hamburg on February 3 due to a failure in the navigation system.

There were no injuries to the vessel’s crew and no pollution was reported in the area.

World Maritime News Staff