On the evening of 15 June the inland freighter Esche developed a leak while navigating the Dortmund-Ems Canal near Ibbenbüren-Dörenthe, Germany.
The vessel, carrying 1,300 tons of gravel, was at risk of sinking, triggering an immediate emergency response. Approximately 50 firefighters were deployed to the scene and worked for several hours to stabilize the situation. Fortunately, crews successfully pumped out water and began offloading the cargo to reduce further risk.
Authorities confirmed that neither of the two crewmembers was injured and no pollution was reported and the cause of the leak remains under investigation.
