An incident occurred on 6 February in the Kiel Canal, Germany, when two containerships, ESSENCE and X PRESS MULHACEN collided.
The accident took place near the north port of Kiel, in front of the Holtenau locks, amidst thick fog. ESSENCE, en route from Kotka, Finland to Rotterdam, Netherlands, and X PRESS MULHACEN, traveling from Rotterdam to Gdynia, Poland, came into close proximity while maneuvering through the locks.
At the time of the collision, X PRESS MULHACEN was preparing to enter the large north chamber of the locks, while ESSENCE was exiting the south chamber. The two vessels scraped against each other forcing both ships to temporarily halt their journeys. However, fortunately, no injuries or pollution were reported.
Following the incident, both ships were detained, and the Kiel water police launched an investigation. After several hours of inquiries and inspection, ESSENCE was allowed to resume its voyage while X PRESS MULHACEN remained detained until the evening before continuing its journey.
To remind, another incident was reported on 1 February, when the containership Bernhard Schepers, en route from Bremerhaven, Germany, to Kotka, Finland, was involved in an allision with the central tail and gate niche of the new north lock of the Kiel Canal.
