The cargo ship 'Temsborg' ran aground in the Canadian Arctic passage

In the Northwest Arctic passage near Canada, the cargo vessel 'Temsborg' flying the Dutch flag ran aground after hitting a shoal, reports gCaptain.

The incident occurred ten days after the navigation season began. The ship's operator, Wagenborg, is continuing preparations for a rescue operation, although there have been temporary delays due to bad weather.

According to the inspection results, there was no fuel spill, and the fuel tanks and cargo holds remained undamaged. However, several ballast tanks were damaged and flooded.

It is worth noting that this is the second case of a vessel running aground in this navigation season in the Arctic waters of Western countries. Earlier, the Canadian cargo ship Rosaire A. Desgagnés ran aground in Pelly Bay (Nunavut), but was successfully refloated during high tide.

Context

Western countries are developing their Northwest Passage, which runs near the US and Canada, as an alternative to the Russian Northern Sea Route that connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. However, the peculiarities of Arctic waters make its use risky — the complexity of ice conditions and shallow waters lead to incidents with vessels.

The ice conditions in this area remain favorable for a few more weeks, but the need for increased caution is evident.