KEDIA

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Grounding on the Rhine

The "Francisca", 2499 ts (EU-No.: 06004256), ran aground ran aground in pos. 50° 0.24' N 008° 2.14' E with more than 2.400 tons coal on board bound from Duisburg to Iversheim near Oestrich-Winkel in the Rheingau-Taunus-region on the Rhine in the morning of Jan 14, 2019, at 6.20 a.m. The ship drifted perpendicular to the fairway and was unable to get off with own power. At 11 a.m. the German dredger "Niclas" (MMSI-No: 211589840) was called to lighter the barge until its draught was reduced so far that it could be salvaged. The tug "Rheinland" (MMSI-No.: 211510040) was on scene to assist the operation. The Rhine was barred for all other ship traffic at the accident site. 40 ships timewise queued up. No pollution, no leak reported. Around 2 p.m. the ship was refloated after 450 tons of the cargo had been dug out and investigated at the Rhine shore at Budenheim in Rheinland-Pfalz regarding possible damage to rudder gear or propulsion, before being allowed to proceed. At 5.45 p.m it was berthed at the Storage Tanks Mainz-Gustavburg. Ships were allowed to pass the grounding site eight hours after the accident in one-lane-traffic as first a shallow which had built up within the fairway had to be removed. The dredging work was expected to last until Jan 15. The reason of the accident was an overloading of the barge. Reports with photos: https://www.hessenschau.de/panorama/gueterschiff-auf-dem-rhein-bei-oestrich-winkel-auf-grund-gelaufen,schiff-aufgelaufen-oestrich-rhein-100.html https://www.wiesbadener-tagblatt.de/lokales/rheingau/oestrich-winkel/nach-havarie-rhein-nur-eingeschrankt-befahrbar_19898495#