The cargo ship that sank in a lock in the Upper Palatinate is expected to be brought out on Wednesday. This was announced by Guido Zander, head of the Waterways and Shipping Office (WSA) Danube MDK, on Monday. For this purpose, the lock chamber is carefully filled to a water level of 1.60 meters. The freighter should then be attached to the side of another ship and towed on the water to a shipyard.
The 85 meter long freighter sank on March 10th in the Geisling lock near Wörth an der Donau (Regensburg district) for reasons that have not yet been clarified. The ship had previously buckled in the middle, so that water entered, it was said.
Around 1100 tons of iron ore granules were on board. That has now been salvaged, the hold is almost “swept clean,” said Stefanie von Einem, Head of Shipping at the WSA. 25 tons of steel were delivered to repair the lock. Over the weekend, cracks and leaks were patched and kinks were splinted with steel beams, the WSA said. The complicated welding work is likely to continue until Tuesday. The aim is to get the freighter out of the lock by swimming.
The 61-year-old captain and his 64-year-old helmsman were able to save themselves via the emergency lock in the incident, but were injured. Since the lock was closed, diesel fuel got into the lock basin, but not into the river.
