The Swedish Coast Guard (Kustbevakningen) has announced that on Sunday morning the TT-Line’s ferry “Marco Polo” having 75 passengers on board, grounded south of the Swedish port Karlshamn.
The Swedish Sea Rescue Society evacuated the passengers onboard, and in cooperation with the Coast Guard, floating oil booms were placed around the ferry, in order to prevent oil and diesel from spreading in the immediate area.
On Sunday afternoon another oil spill from TT-Line’s passenger ferry “Marco Polo” was discovered on the coast of Blekinge, so the Swedish Coast Guard mobilized personnel and units from all over southern Sweden to fight the spill in collaboration with, among others, MSB, the Maritime Rescue Society and the local rescue service.
The ferry is currently stable on the ground and the Swedish Coast Guard has reinforced the floating oil boom during the day, as it is mentioned in its statement.
There is heavy fog in the area, which has made it difficult to get a clear picture of the release.
Images taken by the Coast Guard’s flight have, however, managed to show that in addition to the discharge around the ship, there is a line with a larger amount of oil south of the wreck, which the Swedish Coast Guard’s crew on site was able to confirm during the afternoon.
The spill of oil is drifting towards a half-mile long sensitive stretch of coast at Pukavik bay between Lörby Kladd and Hörvik in Sölvesborg municipality, Blekinge in Sweden.
Jonatan Örn, the Swedish Coast Guard’s preliminary investigation leader, said that “It has turned out that the ferry ran aground earlier in the morning and leaked oil for several nautical miles before it ran onto the foundation where it is stuck. We have investigation personnel on site to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident.”
