MMA investigating ship collision

A Maltese and German ship that were stuck together following a collision in the Aegean Sea on Saturday were this morning successfully separated, the Malta Maritime Authority said.

It said that there were no serious repercussions and the situation was now stable. The Maltese vessel will now be towed to a safe area.

The MMA is investigating the collision between the 2008-built 6,019 gross tonnage general cargo Marti Princess and the 14,619 GT German flagged containership Renate Schulte, built in 1994, close to the Dardanelles Straits.

Following the collision, water flooded the two cargo holds of the Marti Princess, which is reported to have been carrying 8,000 tonnes of bulk cement.

By yesterday evening, a salvage team was already on board the Maltese ship to assess the situation and carry out the necessary stability calculations.

No casualties were reported but the 13 crew members of the Marti Princess were evacuated upon request from the master of the ship as a precautionary measure.

No pollution has so far been reported and operations are underway to pump out the Maltese ship’s bunkers to a special barge to minimise the potential of any leakages.