Wheelhouse torn off Cargo ship collides with a bridge on the Rhine
Two cars on the ship were pushed into the industrial harbor by the collision. They were later rescued by experts.
Image: dpa
Parts of the ship are floating in the water.
Image: dpa
Two cars on the ship were pushed into the industrial harbor by the collision. They were later rescued by experts.
Image: dpa
Parts of the ship are floating in the water.
Image: dpa
A skipper's wheelhouse collides with a bridge in Mannheim. The wheelhouse breaks off and also pushes two cars off the ship into the water.
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- In the German city of Mannheim, a barge collided with a bascule bridge and had to be rescued at great expense. No one was injured.
- The wheelhouse of the ship got stuck on the bridge and tore off.
- Two cars on the ship were pushed into the industrial port as a result of the collision.
- Investigations are currently underway into the cause of the accident, which is currently completely unknown.
- The bridge only suffered paint damage in the incident.
An inland waterway vessel collided with a bascule bridge in Mannheim. The wheelhouse of the ship got stuck on the bridge on Wednesday evening and tore off, according to a spokesperson for the police headquarters Einsatz. No one was injured. The ship's crew consisted of five people "aged between their early twenties and mid-fifties." The cause of the accident is completely unclear. The investigation is only just beginning. Two cars on the ship were pushed into the industrial port as a result of the collision. They have since been salvaged by experts. The wheelhouse has also been salvaged. The salvage work was completed at around 2 p.m. on Thursday.
In the evening, the city administration announced that the bridge could be used again. The closure was lifted. An examination of the structure revealed that the robust steel bridge had only suffered paint damage, the city of Mannheim announced.
The Diffené Bridge is a bascule bridge with road and rail traffic that provides access to the industrial port and Friesenheim Island. The bridge's cantilevers can be folded upwards. If a skipper miscalculates the water level, he does not have enough space and the wheelhouse could break off, said the fire department spokesman.
Six-figure damage to ship and cars
According to the police, the ship was traveling on the Altrheinhafen in the direction of the industrial port. It is not yet clear why it collided with the bridge. The police must now investigate whether human error was responsible for the collision or whether technical problems played a role. The damage to the ship was estimated at 200,000 euros. The extent and amount of damage to the bridge is not yet known.
Emergency services from the fire department, police and water police were on site. Officials from the port authority, the city and a civil engineer were also there to inspect the bridge. Shipping traffic was initially restricted. "The fairway is now clear again, but shipping will only be allowed to proceed after a survey with a sounding vessel," the police added. If it is confirmed that the bottom is free of obstacles, the waterway will be cleared for shipping. According to the city of Mannheim's website, the bridge was only inspected at the beginning of the week.
