An incident occurred on the Rhine River early on the morning of March 29, as the 90-meter long passenger vessel, De Zonnebloem, collided with the 135-meter long barge, Servia, near Voerde, Germany.
The collision, which took place around 3:00 AM local time, resulted in significant damage to both vessels, though thankfully no injuries were reported. According to authorities, the Servia’s bow struck the De Zonnebloem head-on, causing a 20-square-meter hole in the bow of the passenger ship, located above the waterline. The Servia’s bow was also severely dented. Despite the damage, all 134 passengers, 65 volunteers, and 15 crew members aboard the De Zonnebloem were unharmed, as well as the crew of the Servia.
Authorities acted swiftly, with fire and police boats escorting the De Zonnebloem to Wesel, where passengers disembarked safely. Transport services were arranged to return the passengers to the Netherlands. Fortunately, there were no reports of any environmental pollution resulting from the collision.
The Servia has been detained for further investigation, and the vessel’s master underwent an alcohol test as part of routine procedures. As for the De Zonnebloem, the vessel is expected to be out of service for several months as repairs to the extensive damage are carried out.
