Cruise ship rams container ships - police investigate captain

A gust of wind caused a serious collision with two container ships as the "Mein Schiff 3" left Bremerhaven. The police are now investigating the behavior of the cruise ship captain. A police spokeswoman said misdemeanor proceedings had been initiated against him. "It will be examined whether he breached the duty of care." The police have not yet provided any further information, such as what exactly the possible breach of duty of care relates to.

A total of three ships in the harbor were damaged in the collision late on Sunday evening. According to police, the accident was triggered by a gust of wind. Accordingly, the “Mein Schiff 3” was supported by tugs when it was hit by the gust. The ship then drifted towards two container ships that were anchored at the Stromkaje container terminal.

The police estimate the material damage caused to be in the millions. The smaller container ship suffered minor damage and the larger one suffered significant damage. The Tui ship was also significantly damaged. Pictures showed damage to lifeboats and the bridge.

There was no flooding or any injuries on any of the ships, the police said. The cruise ship returned to the cruise terminal after the accident. All three ships involved in the accident were banned from sailing.

According to a spokeswoman, there were 2,428 guests and 922 crew members on board the “Mein Schiff 3” at the time of the accident. The planned trip has now been canceled. “The damage discovered requires short-term repair work in a shipyard,” said Tui Cruises. The ship was originally supposed to leave for the Canary Islands in the evening.

The stormy weather is due to storm “Manja”, which passed mainly over northern Germany last night. The East Frisian North Sea island of Norderney was hit by a storm surge. At a level of 8.20 meters, the water level was around 1.75 meters above normal high water.

In the evening, a heavy-duty cargo ship belonging to a German shipping company was temporarily unable to maneuver off the Dutch island of Schiermonnikoog. Three of the 25 crew members were injured, the ANP news agency reported. Initially there was talk of five injuries.

In Hamburg, the Altona fish market was flooded - as expected. In Hamburg's Hafencity, a driver got stuck in the water in a flooded underpass and had to be rescued by the fire department. Parking spaces in Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven and Cuxhaven were also under water. Overall, however, the police control centers in the north reported only a few major operations

Two deaths from storms were reported in Great Britain. A man in London died when a tree fell on his car, police told the PA news agency. According to PA, a 60-year-old also died from a falling tree in the Dumfries and Galloway region in southwest Scotland. Two women in Scotland also had to be taken to hospital with injuries.

There was also flooding in Scotland and roads had to be closed. Train traffic was also affected by flooding and fallen trees, and flights were also canceled. Tens of thousands of households in the affected regions were now without power.

According to the local supplier, almost 60,000 households in France lost power due to storm damage.

There was also significant disruption at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol due to the storm. In Scandinavia, numerous ferries temporarily stopped operating. Fallen trees caused chaos on roads in Denmark and Norway. There was also a partial power outage in Norway.