An inland waterway ship carrying 3,500 litres of diesel and 1,400 tonnes of potassium chloride has sunk in Hamburg.
At the time of the incident, the 80-meter-long ship was moored to the quay in Kalikai, one of Hamburg’s most known locations for the export of bulk goods, and it is initially unclear why the ship sank in the Elbe river. The accident happened early on Tuesday.
According to the local fire brigade, the skipper of the undisclosed vessel was uninjured but is suffering from shock while oil barriers were deployed as a precautionary measure around the ship.
The fire department added that the operation in the Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg port with around 40 emergency services continued Tuesday morning. The ship sank around 6:00 am local time.
There is no longer any current danger to the environment especially as potassium chloride is a harmless, water-soluble, and salt-containing substance that is used in the production of fertilizers.
Local media reported that if the water levels become low enough, a specialist company will try to pump out the existing fuel.