A Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) LNG carrier smashed into a small Dutch general cargo vessel off the Belgian coast early this morning. The Dutch vessel, Flinterstar (8,850 dwt, built 2002), is owned by Flinter and ran aground on a sandbank.
“Ship is partially submerged on a sandbank. She’s leaking oil. Response has been activated under coordination of Belgian authorities,” a spokesperson for Flinter told Splash. All eleven crew member plus pilot were picked up.
The K Line ship, Al Oraiq (122,079 dwt, 210,198 cu m, built 2007) suffered damage, the local coastguard said, and is anchored by the site of the collision, 10 km off Zeebrugge where it was headed. It is due to move into the port soon.
“The cause of the incident is yet unknown but will be the subject of a full investigation,” K Line said in a release.
