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In Benin, the public prosecutor of the CRIET requested prison sentences against the crew of the SPSL 'Udeme' as well as police officers and a smuggler. At the hearing on March 6, the public prosecutor made his submissions in the legal procedure, which was initiated after the ship ran aground on the beach of Fidjrossè, 18 people are being prosecuted before the special jurisdiction. Among them, three military sailors, a police officer and the 14 crew members of the ship. The civil servants are accused of "abuse of office". The crew members are being prosecuted for "navigating without a permit and violating the rules". The smuggler is accused of "trafficking in petroleum products". In its submissions, the public prosecutor requested prison sentences ranging from three to five years against eight defendants and acquittal on the benefit of the doubt for ten people. The second deputy special prosecutor, after recalling the facts that motivated the prosecution, requested five years in prison, including two years in prison and one million CFA francs against the head of the information and communication department of the maritime prefecture and the commander of the river police, at the time of the incident. The public prosecutor accuses them of "abuse of office". According to the magistrate's explanations, the two civil servants have contacts with the ship's representative, an informant of theirs. But he allegedly did nothing to secure the ship. The public prosecutor blamed the commander of the Cotonou river base for having summoned some members of the crew after their first arrest. Concerning the informer, smuggler and representative of the ship to the officers, the public prosecutor wants the Court to sentence him to five years in prison and two million CFA francs. The second deputy special prosecutor charges him with "smuggling, complicity in abuse of office and illegal introduction of petroleum products". According to the magistrate, he is the beneficiary of the petroleum product that was being transhipped when the ship had a technical breakdown. Among the 14 crew members, five of them, including the captain of the ship, could spend their next three years in prison and may have to pay two million CFA francs, which were the sentences that the public prosecutor requested for them. They were charged, according to the magistrate, with "navigation without a permit, trafficking in petroleum products, and introduction into Benin's territorial waters". The prosecutor denounced, that they chose to turn off their transponder to avoid being detected. The representative of the public prosecutor requested the confiscation of the ship and all the products it was carrying. He also asked the Court to uphold the civil party represented by the State Judicial Agent (AJE) and to order the defendants to pay the sum of 300 million FCFA claimed by the Beninese State. The public prosecutor, during his requisitions, proposed acquittals. The commander of the Cotonou naval base at the time of the events could be among them. The deputy prosecutor suggested that he be acquitted for the benefit of the doubt. According to the magistrate, the officer did not position himself on any operation when the smuggler contacted him. The smuggler, the magistrate maintains, stated this in his statements before the Court. Like the commander of the naval base, nine other defendants including members of the crew can hope to regain their freedom soon. According to the public prosecutor, these are people who could not prevent what happened. Following the public prosecutor's requisitions, the lawyers pleaded for their clients. Mr. Moustatpha and Mr. Agbanlin requested the acquittal of the members of the ship's crew. According to the counsel, the offenses charged against their clients could not be established because the ship was not in transit in Benin. Had it not been for the breakdown, the lawyers maintained, no one would be talking about the ship. They demanded the pure and simple acquittal of their clients.

sold to Alang Breakers

One dead, two people hospitalized and 14 people involved was the toll of the collapse of the E42 motorway brige in La Louvière onto the 'Infinity IV' on March 6 at around 2 p.m., in which one crane also had ended on the barge. The toll was communicated on the evening by the city authorities. Mayor Jacques Gobert explained that while workers were working on the deck of the bridge over the canal, the bridge collapsed. The inland vessel was supposed to collect the rubble and was positioned under the bridge as part of the construction site. Part of the bridge collapsed onto the barge. Two workers, who were aboard at that time, were pulled out. Several pieces of construction equipment have been swept away when the bridge collapsed. 40 responders from various rescue services were involved in the rescue operation. At around 3 p.m., the rescue services pulled the missing victim out of the water and tried to resuscitate him. The municipal coordination center was opened to coordinate the rescue work. A reception centre for victims and their families has also been opened in a nearby municipal building and psychosocial support was still ongoing, With the collapse, the causes of which must first be determined, a reorganisation of the construction site has become necessary. It was impossible to specify the timetable at this stage. The bridge dated from the 1960s and the work in progress consisted of demolishing it due to its dilapidated state and rebuilding a new one. There were two twin bridges at this location. One towards Charleroi, which is the one that has collapsed, and the other towards Mons, was being renovated. The project was scheduled to last two years and should have been completed in February 2026. Due to the construction, vehicles traffic was interrupted on the bridge towards Charleroi under construction. Only slow traffic was allowed on the twin bridge towards Mons. The traffic, which had been interrupted for part of the afternoon, was able to resume normally around 5:45 p.m. Reports with photos and video: https://www.rtbf.be/article/e42-autoroute-fermee-a-houdeng-suite-a-l-affaissement-d-un-pont-11513705 https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2025/03/06/snelwegbrug-ingestort-op-e42-in-houdeng/

On the morning of March 7, 2025, The crew of the 'Salvamar Lyra' assisted a disabled fishing vessel, with four crew members on board, near Roses, between the Roses Lighthouse and Canyelles Petites. The gear had got hooked on the propeller. The ship was taken in tow and safely docked in the port of Roses to remove the obstruction from the fouled propulsion. Report with photos: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1897925940002402500

On March 4, 2025, at around 12.20 p.m. the container ship 'Yong Yue 11' (IMO: 8741026), which had arrived from Colombo, was in allision with the moored 'Rhine' off Chattogram Port on the outer anchorage area. The propeller of the 'Yong Yue 11' got become entangled with the anchor cable of the 'Rhine' and caused damage to the container ship. The port authority deployed the tugs 'Kandari 10', 'Kandari 4', 'BLV Lusai', along with a pilot boat to the accident site. A specialised team comprising of experienced pilots and port employees successfully freed the container ship and moved it to safety by approximately 4:30 p.m. The 'Rhine' has been stationary in pos. 22° 13' N 091° 45' E since Feb 28. As of March 7, the 'Yong Yue 11' was moored in pos. 22° 14' N 091° 50' E. The port operations, including those at the outer anchorage, remained unaffected, and all activities were proceeding as usual.

On Feb 25, 2025, the 'Imperator' was detained in Falkenberg with 25 deficiencies, 6 of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Emergency systems - Emergency source of power - emergency generator Not as required 2) Fire safety - Operation of fire protection systems Not as required 3) Fire safety - Other (Fire safety) Other 4) Propulsion and auxiliary machinery - Bilge pumping arrangements Not as required 5) Pollution Prevention - Other (BWM) Other 6) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again on March 5 and permitted a single voyage to Rostock for permanent repairs with an ETA as of March 6. https://www.facebook.com/groups/444889672272087/user/100063576908591/

On Feb 13, 2025, the 'Lila Incheon', despite the assistance of the tugs 'Sönke' (IMO: 9892705) and 'Fairplay 66' (IMO: 9036258), allided the quay wall of the Elbe port in Brunsbüttel during the docking manoever, en route from Cristobal. The incident was the result of a maneuvering error, according to initial investigations by the Brunsbüttel water police, A small hole was torn into the ship's side about 50 centimeters above the waterline at the level of the cofferdam.No water ingress was reported. The professional traffic association issued a sailing ban until the class was confirmed. No one was injured in the allision. The ship left Brunsbüttel again on Feb 17 en route to the Russian port Ust-Luga with an ETA as of Feb 21.

On March 6, 2026, the 'Angvik', serving between Gomalandet, Kirkelandet, Nordlandet and Kristiansund. suffered a mechanical failure off Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal, and was disabled and adrift. An MOB of Maersk Training in Melkvikan and the lifeboat 'Bergen Kreds' proceeded to assist. The MOB kept the ship in a safe distance from the nearby rocks amid a light gale from the west with a wind gusts of 22 m/s. The lifeboat then went alongside and pulled the ferryboat to a berth in Kristiansund, where troubleshooting and repairs commenced with mechanics of Kystvågen. The service was cancelled as the other ship, the 'Framnæs', could not be put into operation, as the rafts did not return from certification by Certex until March 7, when the 'Framnæs' could enter the regular route at 07:00 a.m. Report with photos: https://www.brunsvika.net/nyhetsarkiv-alle-artikler/32183-maersk-training-forst-til-sundbaten

Beached at Alang 06.03.25

On March 5, 2025, at around 2 p.m., a bridge over the Centrum Canal collapsed near La Louvière between kilometer marker 99.9 and 98.9, in Houdeng, while work was being carried out on the construction on the E42. One of the two work cranes was dragged down. The bridge fell on top of the 'Infinity IV', which was used to collect rubble during the work, was buried under the debris, partially crushed and sank. Police, fire brigade and medical services rushed to the site. One man had fallen into the water and was initially reporteed missing. The emergency services retrieved the victim from the water and tried to resuscitate him, but he nevertheless died from his injuries. Three other workers were injured too. All victims had belonged to a group of 12 workers who were working on the bridge. The injured were transferred to the Jolimont University Hospital in La Louvière. One of them was seriously and two others slightly injured. The cause of the incident was not yet clear. The mayor has announced the municipal emergency plan. According to the fire brigade, the situation is currently under control. The collapsed bridge section was closed to traffic due to the work, which first involved removing asbestos and then dismantling the bridge further. The bridge was to then be rebuilt and reopened to traffic later this year. As a precaution, the other part of the bridge - where traffic could drive in both directions on two lanes - was also temporarily closed. Traffic on that bridge section was reopened at around 5:30 p.m. The Centrum Canal was supposed to remain closed until March 14, due to the works, but due to the extent of the damage, it will now remain closed to shipping until further notice. Reports with photos and video: https://www.hln.be/binnenland/beelden-tonen-het-moment-waarop-brug-instort-bij-la-louviere-een-dode-en-drie-gewonden~a70daa83/ https://www.flows.be/binnenvaart/2025/03/snelwegbrug-in-la-louviere-stort-in-en-valt-op-binnenschip/ https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2025/03/06/snelwegbrug-ingestort-op-e42-in-houdeng/ https://www.demorgen.be/snelnieuws/brug-in-la-louviere-stort-in-tijdens-afbraakwerken-een-dode-en-drie-gewonden~b70daa83/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.de%2F https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2025/03/06/snelwegbrug-ingestort-op-e42-in-houdeng/ https://www.hln.be/binnenland/beelden-tonen-het-moment-waarop-brug-instort-bij-la-louviere-een-dode-en-drie-gewonden~a70daa83/254417113/ https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2025/03/06/instortende-brug-in-belgie-valt-op-binnenvaartschip/

The 'Cormorant II' ran aground near Punta Suárez, upon Española Island in the Galapagos province on March 6, 2025, at 5 a.m. with 13 passengers and 14 crew members on board. The Ecuadorian Navy launched an SAR operation after the captain issued a distress call, A Coast Guard and a Navy ship were dispatched to the grounding site, The nearby passenger m/v ''Galaxy Orion' (IMO: 9093050) assisted in evacuating the passengers and crew. The authorities were analyzing the situation to establish a plan for refloating the vessel, which had sailed from Baquerizo Moreno on March 5 en route to Cristobal with an ETA as of March 10. Report with photo: https://kchcomunicacion.com/2025/03/06/un-barco-con-27-ocupantes-se-quedo-varado-en-la-isla-isabel-galapagos-este-jueves-6-de-marzo/

On March 5, 2025, at around 7.10 a,.m., the 'Bothnia' allided with the bridge of a local refinery in Brunsbüttel, causing some damage. The crew did not notice the incident. Officers of the Brunsbüttel water police station found damage to the railing and the crossbeam beneath the bridge. According to the maintenance team, the visible damage amounted to around 15,000 euros. The accident probably occurred unnoticed when the ship was leaving the port en route to Skagne with an ETA as of March 7. The investigation into this matter was ongoing.

On March 5, salvage crews are working onboard the 'MSC Baltic III'. Containers that have dangerous cargo listed have been secured. No pollution has been observed. Dealing with the fuel and the containers is the first priority. The tug 'Atlantic Elm' (IMO: 7910230) with a barge of equipment has arrived in Corner Brook from Halifax on March 6, the Multi-Cat workboat '360 Handler' (IMO: 9950454) has also been supporting the salvage operations. Salvage crews have power onboard the vessel, and the ship's cranes are operational and been moved from the storage position.

The "SM Portland" has lost numerous containers in a severe storm near the Bering Sea. Others were damaged. It changed course on March 4, 2025 for safety reasons and resumed the route on March 5. The ship has continued its journey towards Vancouver, where it is to be inspected by the Canadian authorities ahead of the planned arrival on March 10, before it is allowed to berth by the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada. A total of 115 containers were damaged, destroyed or washed overboard due to heavy rolling in the storm. The shipping company is asking affected customers to check their transport documents to determine whether their goods were on board the ship. Before crossing to North America, the ship had called at ports in China and South Korea.

Beached at Aliaga 06.03.25 towed by Protug 40 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10161205504070036&set=g.6884293942

On March 6, 2025, the 'Valiant' offloaded nearly six tonnes of cocaine onto a pier at Coast Guard Base Miami Beach. The $140 million haul will be destroyed. The seizures resulted from six interdictions in the Caribbean in February, carried out by Coast Guard units with assistance from Dutch and Canadian partners. The first and biggest occurred on Feb 2 off the coast of Venezuela, when a Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard aircrew spotted a smuggling boat and vectored in the Netherlands Royal Navy patrol ship HNLMS 'Groningen' to intercept, which had embarked a U.S. Coast Guard boarding team. It chased down the boat and captured 6,200 pounds of cocaine, plus five smugglers.On Feb 14, the 'Groningen' hunted down another suspicious vessel off Venezuela and recovered about 570 pounds of cocaine from the water, while the suspects escaped. On March 4, the 'Groningen 'seized another 550 pounds and caught two smugglers northwest of Aruba, after firing warning shots to compel the suspects to stop. The Royal Canadian Navy's HMCS 'Harry DeWolf' contributed 1,650 pounds from a seizure north of Cabo De La Vela, Colombia, drawing on the skills of an embarked U.S. Coast Guard boarding team. The CG 'Joseph Doyle' seized another 2,200 pounds from a speed boat off the U.S. Virgin Islands on Feb 2, and the 'Valiant' captured a speed boat with 1,300 pounds off the Dominican Republic on Feb 17. Report with photo: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4111557/coast-guard-offloads-over-141-million-in-illicit-drugs-interdicted-in-caribbean/

On the morning of March 7, 2025, the 'Salvamar Suhail' was tasked to assist a fishing boat that had become disabled 4.5 nautical miles from Cabo Roche. It was taken in tow, and at around 5 a.m. it safely docked in the port of Santa María. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1897930059521933519

On March 4, 2025, at around 12.20 p.m. the 'Yong Yue 11', which had arrived from Colombo, was in allision with the moored tanker 'Rhine' (IMO: 9356816) off Chattogram Port on the outer anchorage area. The propeller of the 'Yong Yue 11' got become entangled with the anchor cable of the 'Rhine' and caused damage to the container ship. The port authority deployed the tugs 'Kandari 10', 'Kandari 4', 'BLV Lusai', along with a pilot boat to the accident site. A specialised team comprising of experienced pilots and port employees successfully freed the container ship and moved it to safety by approximately 4:30 p.m. The 'Rhine' has been stationary in pos. 22° 13' N 091° 45' E since Feb 28. As of March 7, the 'Yong Yue 11' was moored in pos. 22° 14' N 091° 50' E. The port operations, including those at the outer anchorage, remained unaffected, and all activities were proceeding as usual.

On the morning of March 4, 2025, the Kriti Captain' has finally left Fos-sur-Mer. In an operation, which was coordinated by the Port Authority and carried out in collaboration with the pilots of the Strait of Messina, the offshore tug 'Protug 85-1' (IMO: 9995935) started towing the disabled tanker through the strait. The convoy was headed for repairs in a shipyard in Skaramagas near Athens. The departure manoever was assisted by tug 'Capo D'Orlando' (IMO: 9275139). Report with photo: https://messina.gazzettadelsud.it/articoli/cronaca/2025/03/04/stretto-di-messina-spettacolare-operazione-di-rimorchio-di-una-petroliera-in-avaria-57eaa760-a793-43ae-8fab-d40dec12eb80/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI2-SpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVRd7HNboYteOoPVb2XT6xUFvqjFU2x92Ub1034xQFB0COnTWr2N2IkA-g_aem_89qqnBJMycbiZ1Z2YkeBwQ

On Feb 28, 2025, the 'Cenk' was detained in Toulon, France with 14 deficiencis, one of hich being regarded as serious and ground for a detention: 1) Emergency systems - Emergency source of power - emergency generator Not as required The vessel was released again on March 6 and left the port en route to Haydarpasa with an ETA as of March 10. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591