Boxship Runs Aground off Norway

zoom A Cyprus-flagged container ship ran aground in Skatestraumen, south of Maloy, Norway, on Thursday morning, October 22, according to the National Air Ambulance Services of Norway. The 700 TEU BF Fortaleza was sailing from Bergen to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, when it suffered steering failure and ran aground in rocky shallows. The 1996-built boxship reportedly suffered large hull breach in the midship area, after which an unknown amount of water leaked into its ballast tanks. Local Rescue Coordination Center dispatched a towboat and a helicopter to aid the grounded ship and assess the damage. The 121-meter-long BF Fortaleza was refloated and towed to Maloy the next day, where it still remains anchored according to AIS data. No injuries to the boxships crew of 12, and no oil spills have been reported. The BF Fortaleza is managed by the Hamburg-based Bf Management. World Maritime News Staff