Troms police district decided on Tuesday that the Malta-registered cargo ship “Ruby”, which is docked in Breivika in Tromsø, should be removed from the dock. This is as a result of repairs the ship must undergo. Terje Hanssen, fire chief at Tromsø fire and rescue, confirms to news that the ship is loaded with ammonium nitrate. – 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. So far we are very satisfied with the communication and cooperation with the police, he says. 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. Photo: Øystein Antonsen / news Recommended by the Norwegian Armed Forces Data from the NAIS service shows that the ship arrived in the Norwegian economic zone on the night of Sunday evening 25 August. The ship sailed further outside the territorial boundary 12 nautical miles off mainland Norway to outside Rolvsøya at Hammerfest, before it sailed further out. On Monday morning, August 26, the ship headed in the direction of Tromsø, where it anchored outside Vannvåg. – It was we who recommended this position, in consultation with the Norwegian Armed Forces, says manager at Vardø sea traffic centre, Ståle Sveinungsen. The ship was anchored there until Sunday morning, 1 September, before it sailed into Tromsø harbour. – We did not know that the ship had this damage when it entered the Norwegian economic zone. We became aware of this when it was anchored, says Sveinungsen. The municipality that informed Hanssen states that the substance, if mixed with other ingredients or components, has the potential to be explosive. – There is no reason to believe that is the case here. But it is desirable, naturally enough, to take that boat away from Tromsø. Completely preventive. I am not aware of any cause for concern linked to the substance. The substance is transported around the world’s oceans every single day. Ammonium nitrate is a substance produced from ammonia and nitric acid. It is used in fertilizer in agriculture, and it can also be used in the production of explosives. Hanssen states that it was Tromsø municipality that informed Tromsø fire and rescue about the ship on Monday, which the fire service greatly appreciates. – We often receive both tips and inquiries about things that we can help to follow up. We immediately sent two on board this boat. Two knowledgeable, skilled people who spoke to both captain and crew. Confirms damage Director of Communications in the Norwegian Maritime Directorate, Dag Inge Aarhus, informs news that their crew has been on board the ship. He further says that the ship has damage to the hull, in addition to damage to the propeller and rudder. The ship is now detained until the damage to the hull has been repaired. This will be done at a suitable storage location. – It cannot go there by its own machine, but must be towed by a tugboat, says Aarhus. No safety zone The cargo ship is 183 meters long, and arrived in Tromsø on Sunday. This after it had sought an emergency port on its way from Kandalaksha in Russia. – We are working to get the vessel towed out to a suitable mooring point, and where there is an opportunity to improve what needs to be improved on the vessel, says operations manager in the Troms police district, Lennart Steffensen, to news. At no time on Tuesday did the police establish a safety zone around the ship. – We have not created a safety zone in the port area where the vessel is now. The crew is still on board the ship, so right now we do not consider it an explosion hazard where the vessel is, but would like the vessel to be at another destination when the work starts, says Steffensen. – Is there anything you think can change? – No, I have no reason to believe that exactly that will change. But we want the vessel, at the time it is to be worked on, to be at another destination. We don’t want it lying in the harbor then. The police state that Norwegian maritime authorities and other actors are working together with those responsible for the boat to find good solutions. Published 03/09/2024, at 13.04 Updated 03.09.2024, at 19.09
ttn-69
The police order the cargo ship “Ruby” from the quay in Tromsø – news Troms og Finnmark
