CMA CGM Feeder Hits Barge On River Scheldt, Injures 1 & Throws 2 Overboard

barge collision with containership — Image Credits: KNRM

A container ship, Containerships Nord, operated by CMA CGM, collided with the inland fuel barge Beringzee on the River Scheldt on May 30, 2025. The incident took place around 14:15 near the Marlemon anchorage, just past the Bath bend, between Antwerp and Vlissingen.

The collision caused major damage to the barge, left one person seriously injured, and forced two individuals into the water. The accident occurred near buoy 64-A in the main channel of the Western Scheldt, close to the Verdronken Land van Saeftinge.

At the time of the incident, the 82-meter-long Beringzee was sailing when it was overtaken by the much larger 170-meter-long Containerships Nord, a 20,200 dwt container feeder with a 1,400 TEU capacity.

Authorities are still investigating the exact cause of the crash, but initial reports confirm that the barge was struck and run over by the containership. This led to the barge taking on water rapidly and leaking fuel into the river.

Dutch rescue organisation KNRM reported that one person was seriously injured during the incident. The captain and one sailor from the barge ended up in the water but were quickly rescued. According to KNRM, the captain managed to save the injured person from an area of the vessel that was quickly flooding and also pulled the sailor from the river.

The injured person, described as seriously hurt, was transferred to a Belgian police boat after it arrived at the scene. A nurse, who was part of the Coast Guard helicopter team, was lowered onto the police vessel to provide emergency care. The injured crew member was then airlifted to a hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, the Containerships Nord, which had been sailing from Antwerp to Dunkirk, sustained only minor damage and was able to proceed under its power. It dropped anchor near Vlissingen just after 20:00 to undergo inspection. AIS data later showed that the vessel resumed its journey by Monday.

Video Credits: Flows/YouTube

A massive joint rescue and salvage operation was initiated after the collision. KNRM lifeboats Jan van Engelenburg (Hansweert) and Zeemanshoop (Breskens), a Coast Guard aircraft, Rescue-08 helicopter, police boats from the Netherlands and Belgium, Rijkswaterstaat patrol vessel, and several tugs rushed to the site.

The captain of the Beringzee, who was injured and had swallowed water during the rescue effort, was brought ashore at Hansweert by the Zeemanshoop. The sailor was also taken to Hansweert by Jan van Engelenburg. Ambulance teams examined both men. They did not require hospitalisation and were later picked up by the vessel’s owner.

Two support tankers, Kevalia and Verity, were positioned alongside the heavily damaged Beringzee to prevent the barge from sinking. Fuel was being transferred from the barge to the tanker Bellini. The effort was supported by salvage vessel Multrasalvor 5 and tugs Multratug 22, Multratug 33, and VB Eagle.

An oil trail was also spotted along the river, especially near Saeftinge. A river pilot who passed the scene later stated that the leaked substance appeared to be a thin layer of biodiesel. Authorities indicated that the spill was not thick enough for cleanup and was expected to evaporate naturally.

Despite the scale of the accident, authorities confirmed that there was no impact on other shipping operations. The transport of tunnel segments for the Oosterweel project between Zeebrugge and Antwerp was also unaffected.

The Containerships Nord, delivered in 2018, was the first LNG-powered feeder ship in the CMA CGM fleet. It had been deployed on intra-European routes following CMA CGM’s acquisition of the Germany-based Containerships brand.

Investigations are ongoing to determine the full cause of the collision.

Reference: knrm

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