Freighter accident: Diving mission to the "Verity" planned
Following the fatal cargo ship collision in the North Sea, initial work on the sunken "Verity" is set to begin this Saturday afternoon. The salvage company commissioned by the ship's owner has organized a diving vessel and a tugboat, the spokeswoman for the Directorate-General for Waterways and Shipping announced on Friday afternoon. "The plan is to shorten the two masts of the wreck in order to achieve greater water depth," she said. Accordingly, the water column above the mast is around 15 meters. The work is dependent on the weather.
In addition to shortening the mast, experts are to investigate whether there are any leaks on the wreck that require action. Two working days are initially planned, according to the spokesperson. The Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA) will accompany the work, and the multi-purpose vessel "Mellum" from the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration will be deployed. In addition, the Wilhelmshaven traffic control center will monitor the area with radar and the AIS system, which ships use to exchange navigation and ship data.
On October 24, the two freighters "Verity" and "Polesie" collided in the North Sea southwest of Helgoland. The "Verity" sank. The authorities believe that five sailors lost their lives in the accident, four of them aged between 43 and 47 are still missing.
Given the current situations, the salvage team must ensure safe shipping conditions around the area. Therefore, strict measures will be implemented to prevent any potential shipping accidents during the operation to shorten the "Verity"'s masts.
Source: www.dpa.com
