The cargo ship “Ruby” was turned away from the port in Tromsø by the police on Tuesday. The ship had large quantities of ammonium nitrate on board. The ship had damage to the hull, propeller and rudder and needed repairs. It is now clear that the ship has sailed for a long time with the damage. According to the accident report that the Malta-based shipping company has submitted to the Norwegian Maritime Directorate, the damage already occurred on 22 August. The ship was then on its way out of the port of Kandalaksha in Russia. The shipping company itself has stated that they have had a ground contact or crash. – In the report they also write that they assessed the damage so that they could continue the journey with the aim of remediation in a European port, says communications director Dag Inge Aarhus in the Norwegian Maritime Directorate to news. – These are conditions and assessments that the Norwegian Maritime Directorate was not aware of until the question of an emergency port was raised and an accident report was submitted. On 22 August, the Maltese bulk carrier Ruby leaves the quay in Russian Kandalaksha at Lake Kvitsjøen. According to the ship’s own sea declaration, it was during the departure from the harbor in Kandalaksja that the damage to the hull, propeller and rudder should have occurred. The ship reaches Norwegian waters on Sunday 25 August. On the night of Monday, outside Troms, the ship reports the need for an emergency port and refers to the storm on the coast as a reason. The Norwegian Defense and Coastal Administration refers the ship to a port of emergency on the approach to the fishing village of Vannvåg in Karlsøy municipality. After six days, the ship notifies that they need repairs. The Norwegian Coastal Administration, together with the Port of Tromsø, unloads the ship into Tromsø on Sunday 1 September. The tugboats “Lupus” and “Polar Frigg” assist the ship. On Monday afternoon, the police in Tromsø become aware that the ship is loaded with 20,000 tonnes of highly explosive ammonium nitrate and order the ship from the quay. On Tuesday morning, the ship is towed back to Vannøy, just south of the original shelter site at Vannøy, where it is still located. Learned about dangerous cargo on Monday The question being asked is how the ship was allowed to dock in Tromsø in the first place. – An investigative case has been created to collect information to see if there is a basis for starting a further investigation into possible criminal circumstances, says head of operational services in Tromsø police district, Morten Pettersen. – It is natural that the police are looking into this case, but as of today we do not suspect that anything criminal may have happened, emphasizes Pettersen. The ship arrived in Tromsø on Sunday after lying for several days at anchor off Vannøya in Karlsøy municipality. Only on Monday did the police become aware of the potentially dangerous cargo on board the ship. They then contacted professional services with knowledge of the danger risk, who recommended that the repair of the ship should be carried out somewhere other than Breivika, which is located in the city of Tromsø and close to the University Hospital of Northern Norway. – We are aware that the substance can be risky, so we have given our good advice to the police in the further handling of the case, said fire chief Terje Hanssen. On Tuesday, “Ruby” was towed from the city, and is now outside Vannøya in Troms. A safety zone of 500 meters has been established. The ship is scheduled to be repaired. According to the Norwegian Maritime Directorate, the ship does not pose a greater risk now than it would during normal operation. Director of Communications Dag Inge Aarhus in the Norwegian Maritime Directorate. Photo: Marthe Synnøve Johannessen / news Ammonium nitrate is the same chemical substance that was used in the bomb against the government quarter on 22 July 2011. The bomb weighed 950 kg. The chemical substance was also the cause of the violent explosion in Beirut in Lebanon in 2020. The substance had been stored for several years, and 2,750 tonnes of the substance went into the air in connection with the explosion. Erlend Svardal Bøe (H) has sent questions to the Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness and asked for information on the matter. Photo: Tora Jarnæs Vold / news – A serious security lapse Erlend Svardal Bøe is a parliamentary representative for the Conservative Party, and on Thursday submitted questions to Minister of Justice and Emergency Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) to get answers to what he believes indicates a failure in the routines. – It is a serious safety lapse when you allow a cargo ship with such quantities of dangerous substances to dock in northern Norway’s largest city, says Svardal Bøe to news. – Although there must be certain prerequisites in place for something wrong to happen, with this type of cargo, the consequences if something goes wrong are very serious, he points out. Svardal Bø believes that the tense security political situation in itself should have ensured a stronger awareness of the risk of allowing such vessels to port in a Norwegian city. – When we have already introduced strong restrictions in the ports against Russian fishing vessels, and this ship comes with cargo from Russia, it should have led to more vigilance on the part of the agencies that have handled this situation. news has asked the Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness for a comment, who has not yet responded to Svardal Bøe’s suggestion. Published 05.09.2024, at 12.32 Updated 05.09.2024, at 12.59
ttn-69
Has sailed with damage to the hull since it left Russia – news Troms and Finnmark
