February 7 ------ German prosecutors are continuing to investigate the accident in December that paralyzed river traffic on the Moselle and trapped numerous inland cargo ships in France and Luxembourg. They believe the cargo ship that destroyed the critical lock was sailing on autopilot and failed to break before hitting the gates.
An inland cargo ship loaded with 1,500 tons of scrap metal bound for Mertert in Luxembourg hit the lock gates on December 8 ripping both rates loose from the hinges and damaging the concert and operating mechanism for the lock. At the time, the authority that operates the lock reported it appeared the vessel had not only failed to stop but had not attempted to slow down. The gates were closed preparing for the locking operation.
The public prosecutor in Koblenz, Germany reported based on the initial findings of its investigation the inland cargo was operating on autopilot and apparently was unattended. Regulation for the river which connects to the Rhine and is a major route for cargo into France and Luxembourg, permits the use of autopilot but the captain has to monitor the operation and be able to intervene if necessary to prevent accidents by stopping the vessel.
The prosecutor would not speculate on why the captain had not attempted to stop the vessel. They did say that tests showed the ship’s engines and controls appeared to be working without a problem. They also confirmed that there was no evidence of the captain having consumed alcohol or any illegal drugs. Video of the locks confirms the vessel did not attempt to slow its progress or stop before hitting the lock gates. They believe the vessel was traveling at a speed of 12.2 km/h (approximately 6.5 knots) when it entered the lock and plowed into the gates. “Why the ship’s captain did not intervene is the subject of further investigation,” prosecutors told the German news agency dpa.
While the investigation is ongoing, the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration however reports traffic has resumed through the lock. The first ship transited the repaired lock on February 1 after just 55 days of repairs. Initial estimates had been that it could be till March before the lock could be reopened to vessel traffic. Immediately after the incident, reports said there were 72 vessels trapped in France and Luxembourg. The authority stages a rescue operation using dam beams normally for closing the locks for inspection in an emergency operation that required drivers and a crane to set the beams for each locking operation. It took till December 27 to clear all the vessels.
Repairs were expedited in part because they were able to find two assembled lock frames that could be outfitted for the Moselle lock. The gates were prepared while concrete repairs and new fitting strips were completed at the lock. The new gates were installed on January 24 and after testing they celebrated the reopening of the waterway.
Source: maritime-executive.com
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