Authorities have refloated the cargo ship without harming the vessel. With dangerous chemicals on board, some were concerned that the incident could harm humans or the environment.
Image: picture-alliance/Arco Images/K. Hinze
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A Panama-flagged cargo ship carrying 9,000 metric tons (9,920 US tons) of hazardous materials ran aground on Germany's Elbe River on Monday.
Authorities said the hazardous materials included chemicals such as dissolvers and hydraulic fluids. Later, authorities confirmed that they were able to safely tow the vessel to safety without incident and allow it to be on its way.
The ship ran aground about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) away from Cuxhaven
The ship did not sustain damage, authorities said
Crew members did not sustain injuries
Six tug boats were able to refloat the ship after several hours
'Hopefully without harm'
A Finland-based researcher and environmental lawyer had tweeted that a rising tide in the afternoon could provide a way out for the cargo ship.
"High tide in the early afternoon might offer a possibility to get Orient Nadeshiko moving again," said Stefan Kirchner. "Hopefully without harm to humans or the environment. In order to ensure maritime safety, working Coast Guard facilities are essential."
Authorities had warned the public from approaching the containers as they washed up on the Dutch islands of Tershelling, Ameland and Vlieland. At least three of them contained hazardous materials. Some of the chemicals in those containers were also flammable.
Dutch islanders take to the beach as container cargo washes ashore
Residents of the Dutch islands in the North Sea have flocked to beaches where containers and goods — lost from a giant freight ship in choppy seas — washed ashore. They included volunteers and treasure hunters.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Spoelstra
Unusual beach litter
Dozens of containers appeared near the islands of Frisian islands of Terschelling, Vlieland, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog. Among the goods washed up on the shore were flat-screen televisions, brought ashore with the polystyrene material they had been packed in. Such material is considered to be flotsam, and inhabitants of the islands have a centuries-old tradition of collecting it.
Image: Reuters/Erik Scheer
Getting a clear picture
Here, one man carries away a flat-screen television, still tightly wrapped in its packaging. Meanwhile, others inspect a cargo container that was washed up on a beach. Some 270 containers were lost from the container ship MSC Zoe, during "heavy weather."
Image: Reuters/Erik Scheer
Floating footwear
It's not unusual to see flip-flop shoes like this on the beach, but they don't usually arrive in pairs as flotsam. Some shoes — and there were a lot of shoes — were wrapped in bags containing silica gel, one of several pollution worries.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Schat
Helping hands
Among the many items to be brought ashore on the waves were to cars, freezers, Ikea furniture, and computer chips. Volunteers pitched in with efforts to clean the beach.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Spoelstra
Hazardous cargo?
This photograph from the Dutch Coastguard shows three of the containers that fell from MSC Zoe floating out at sea. Authorities have warned that some containers are carrying hazardous chemicals such as organic peroxide, and have urged people not to touch the unopened freight boxes. Three containers loaded with chemicals are still missing.
Image: Reuters/Dutch Coastguard
Washed away
The Panamanian-flagged MSC Zoe is one one the biggest container ships in the world. Containers appeared to have simply been washed away in the rough weather. German authorities have taken the lead investigating the causes of the accident, which occurred in German waters near the island of Borkum. The bulk of the lost cargo was carried southwest, into waters belonging to the Netherlands.
