A cargo ship narrowly missed a home as it ran aground, prompting police investigations into navigational negligence.
Container Ship Crash in Norway: Watch Officer Fell Asleep, Investigation Underway
Container Ship Crash in Norway: Watch Officer Fell Asleep, Investigation Underway
A Ukrainian officer asleep on duty leads to a cargo ship crashing into a garden in Byneset, Norway.
The watch officer of a massive cargo ship that crashed into a garden in Norway has stated to authorities that he was asleep during the incident. The officer, a Ukrainian man in his 30s, has been charged with negligent navigation after the 135-meter (443-foot) vessel, the NCL Salten, veered off course on Thursday morning in Byneset, close to Trondheim. Investigators are now probing whether the crew followed proper regulations regarding working and resting hours.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported as the cargo ship missed a residential home by mere meters. “The individual charged was the officer on watch at the time of the incident,” a spokesperson for Trondelag Police District commented. “He confessed to falling asleep while alone on duty, which resulted in the vessel running aground.”
Efforts to refloat the ship have yet to succeed. Johan Helberg, the owner of the property that the ship collided with, articulated the surreal experience of witnessing the ship in his garden, describing it as "unreal.” He was alerted to the noise by a neighbor who observed the ship's alarming approach toward the shore. “Five meters further south and it would have entered the bedroom,” Helberg recounted to the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.
Interestingly, this isn't the first time the NCL Salten encountered trouble, as reports indicate the ship had previously run aground earlier in 2023, but the crew managed to free it using its own power. Investigations are currently ongoing to ensure navigation laws were properly observed.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported as the cargo ship missed a residential home by mere meters. “The individual charged was the officer on watch at the time of the incident,” a spokesperson for Trondelag Police District commented. “He confessed to falling asleep while alone on duty, which resulted in the vessel running aground.”
Efforts to refloat the ship have yet to succeed. Johan Helberg, the owner of the property that the ship collided with, articulated the surreal experience of witnessing the ship in his garden, describing it as "unreal.” He was alerted to the noise by a neighbor who observed the ship's alarming approach toward the shore. “Five meters further south and it would have entered the bedroom,” Helberg recounted to the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.
Interestingly, this isn't the first time the NCL Salten encountered trouble, as reports indicate the ship had previously run aground earlier in 2023, but the crew managed to free it using its own power. Investigations are currently ongoing to ensure navigation laws were properly observed.
