Importance Score: 70 / 100 🔴
Container Ship Runs Aground in Norway; Watch Officer Admits to Sleeping on Duty
A large container ship ran aground in Byneset, near Trondheim, Norway, resulting in a collision with a residential garden. The officer on watch, a Ukrainian national, has confessed to police that he was asleep at the time of the incident. Authorities are investigating the maritime incident, looking into possible negligence and adherence to regulations concerning working and rest hours for the cargo ship’s crew.
Officer Charged with Negligent Navigation
The watch officer, a man in his thirties, has been formally charged with negligent navigation following the grounding of the 135-meter (443ft) vessel on Thursday morning. The ship narrowly avoided hitting a house. Efforts to dislodge the ship are ongoing.
In a press statement, the prosecutor in Trøndelag Police District stated, “The individual charged was the officer on watch at the time of the incident. During questioning, he stated that he fell asleep while on duty alone, which led to the vessel running aground,” added Kjetil Bruland Sørensen.
Details Surrounding the Grounding Incident
Local media reports indicate the officer was responsible for steering the ship but failed to alter course upon entering the Trondheim Fjord. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
- The Cypriot-flagged cargo ship, the NCL Salten, had 16 people on board.
- The ship was en route southwest through the Trondheim Fjord to Orkanger when it deviated from its intended path.
NCL, the logistics company that chartered the vessel, acknowledged the incident as “serious” and expressed relief that no one was injured. The company is cooperating with the police investigation and focusing on a safe and secure salvage operation.
Resident’s Account of the Incident
“So Unreal”
Johan Helberg, whose property was narrowly missed by the vessel, recounted his astonishment upon seeing the ship in his garden. “I had to bend my neck to see the top of it. It was so unreal,” he told the Guardian in an interview.
Helberg noted the ship came within “five metres” of entering his bedroom. He humorously referred to the ship as a “very bulky new neighbour” that would soon be gone, speaking to Norwegian television channel TV2.
Neighbor’s Perspective
A neighbor, alerted by the sound of the ship, witnessed it heading towards the shore and raised the alarm. The neighbor’s son described the experience as “terrifying,” stating his father screamed upon seeing the ship.
“I didn’t know if I was dreaming because it was five in the morning and it was so surreal,” Bard Jorgensen told the BBC World Service’s Newshour program. Jorgensen added that he was relieved to learn his neighbor was safe after fearing the ship was going to “directly” strike the house.
Past Incidents
Reports suggest the NCL Salten had previously run aground in 2023, but the crew managed to free the vessel using its own power.