AMSTERDAM — The hull of a container ship carrying dangerous materials has been damaged after running aground in the Westerschelde inlet in the southwest of the Netherlands.

Although 127 of the 1,942 crates on the ship ‘De Fowairet’ contain hazardous material there is no danger they will end up in the water, a spokesperson for a Belgian piloting service said on Tuesday.

No chemicals have leaked into the water, but about 600 tonnes of diesel has been emptied into the inlet due to damage toi the ship’s hull.

Salvage workers are working to limit the damage. The ship was to be re-floated in the afternoon high tide, but fears have arisen the ship might break up.

‘De Fowairet’, which operates under the flag of Qatar, was on its way from London to Antwerp when it hit a sandbank due to a technical problem.

The accident happened near Perkpolder in the Netherlands at 4.45am. Perkpolder is located near Antwerp.

All shipping through the Westerschelde was suspended after the accident.

The Westerschelde links Antwerp, Belgium’s busiest harbour, with the North Sea. The vital waterway cuts through Dutch territory.

[Copyright Expatica News + ANP 2005]

Subject: Dutch + Belgian news