By Jite Eriabie
The passing of deadly storm Xavier in northern Germany last Thursday October 5 disrupted operations and caused damages to ports in the region.
During the storm, which was followed by gale force winds and rain, the 5,415 CEU pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) Cygnus Leader broke loose from its moorings. The 2007-built ship was moored at Bremerhaven.
“I can confirm that the car carrier Cygnus Leader broke off its moorings during the passing of the storm Xavier. This causes small damage at the quay of Nordhafen,” a spokesperson of bremenports GmbH & Co. was quoted in the media as saying.
Another car carrier, the 198-meter-long Splendid Ace, broke off its moorings at the Port of Emden on October 5, a spokesperson of Niedersachsen Ports (NPorts) was cited by Nordwest Zeitung as saying.
The incident caused a brief stoppage of vessel traffic near Emden. The 6,400 CEU ship was towed to the pier at around 14:00 p.m. local time.
What is more, due to the strong winds, a 1,400-ton coal loading crane fell into the water at Niedersachsenbrücke in Wilhelmshaven on the same day.
No injuries were reported following the incident. The scope of the damage is yet to be determined, NPorts said in a statement.
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