Fishing vessel collides with container ship in the North Sea

On May 20, the fishing vessel UK-22 Stella Polaris sustained serious damage after colliding with the 400-meter container ship Singapore Express in the North Sea, near the coast of the Netherlands.

As a result of the incident, one crew member was injured. Additionally, the collision caused significant structural damage to the fishing vessel, including the complete destruction of its wheelhouse. Despite the impact, the Stella Polaris remained afloat.

After the incident, the vessel was initially escorted by another fishing vessel UK-24, and then taken in tow by the tug B.D.S. near the Richel sandbank and delivered to Harlingen. There, authorities will assess the damage and determine further actions.

The container ship Singapore Express was en route from Rotterdam to Hamburg and was able to continue its journey after the collision.

According to Dutch news, the Maritime Police are investigating the causes of the accident using AIS data, radar recordings, VHF radio communications, and the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) of the container ship. At the time of the incident, AIS data showed that the Stella Polaris was active in the area, but it is not yet known whether it was fishing or just passing through.