Marine Safety Unit investigating grounding of Maltese ship Kertu

The Marine Safety Investigation Unit is investigating the grounding of the Malta registered MV Kertu, a 2,844 gross tonnage general cargo vessel built in 1996, which occurred in the South end of the Stockholm archipelago in Swedish territorial waters.

No injuries were reported and all nine crew members were evacuated by the Swedish Coastguard.

Kertu is reported to have been in ballast.

Transport Malta’s Merchant Shipping Directorate and the Marine Safety Investigation Unit are in direct contact with the managers of the vessel in order to closely monitor the situation.

Preliminary reports received by Transport Malta indicate that the vessel sustained flooding in her cargo hold and damages to one of the bunker tanks after she ran aground.

A sheen of gas oil has been observed on the surface.  A salvage operation is currently underway to salvage the vessel and mitigate the pollution.

The Marine Safety Investigation Unit, which is an independent government investigation body tasked to carry out safety investigations into maritime casualties and incidents, is coordinating its safety investigation directly with the Swedish authorities, in line with the relevant legislation, EU Directive and international maritime conventions.

The Marine Safety Investigation Unit and the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority are also coordinating the preservation and gathering of available evidence.