Towed transport of combusting tanker to Rostock
Just a few kilometers away from Heiligendamm, the oil tanker "Annika" ignites. Swiftly, rescue crews and firefighters arrive, battling the blaze for hours before successfully towing the vessel away. Furthermore, firefighting operations are scheduled to continue in Rostock.
Following a nearly 5-hour towing operation, the "Annika," an oil tanker drifting in the Baltic Sea following a fire, moors at the Port of Rostock at 1:00 AM. Illuminated by the fire department and the Technical Relief Agency, their posts were readied at the dock. The fire department will first evaluate the situation onboard. Two tugboats hauled the "Annika" from its stricken location near Kühlungsborn into the harbor.
Although the flames had been contained since the afternoon, neither the fire department nor the salvage command had declared an end to the fire. During the towing operation, officials from the salvage company confirmed the vessel's stability. Firefighters from Kiel patrolled aboard, ensuring the flames remained at bay.
The seven crew members rescued from the tanker were discharged from the hospital that evening. Now, they are under the care of the German Seamen's Mission personnel, with available psychosocial support.
Measuring 73 meters long, the vessel, per the salvage command, had carried 640 tons of heavy oil as cargo. On its journey from Rostock to Travemünde, the fire, presumed to have originated in the paint and varnish room at the rear of the ship, erupted shortly after 9:00 AM. This occurred in the sights of the popular tourist area between Warnemünde and Kühlungsborn.
Environmental Concerns
The WWF commended the swift actions of the rescue teams and firefighters. The head of the WWF Baltic office in Stralsund, Finn Viehberg, noted the demand for a salvage command network across the entire Baltic Sea. He went on, stating that this isn't always the case for dangerous goods ships.
Tobias Goldschmidt, Schleswig-Holstein's Environmental Minister, pointed to the growing threat of an oil disaster. "This flaming tanker serves as a reminder of the escalating danger marine life faces from escalating tanker traffic in the Baltic Sea," he said. Goldschmidt expressed concern over the growing number of old, underinsured Russian oil tankers, also known as the 'shadow fleet.' Uninsured against the fallout from such incidents, these vessels pose a significant danger. "The chance of a catastrophic oil spill is escalating," Goldschmidt concluded. "If such an oil spill were to occur, it would primarily contaminate the beaches from Fehmarn to Eckernförde," he warned, citing Greenpeace investigations conducted in Kadetrinne.
Every day, approximately 2,000 large ships travel the heavily trafficked Baltic Sea, including tankers capable of carrying up to 100,000 tons of cargo. "The incident near Heiligendamm functions as a reminder," stated scientist Viehberg.
The "Annika," after being safely towed to the Port of Rostock, will be subject to an evaluation by the fire department from the European Union's member state, Germany. In light of the increasing concerns about tanker traffic and potential oil disasters in the Baltic Sea, Finn Viehberg from the WWF Baltic office in Stralsund emphasizes the necessity of a unified salvage command network across the entire sea.
