BERLIN, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Experts have succeeded in separating two freighters that were wedged together following a collision near the island of Borkum in the North Sea, a spokesperson of the German governmental command for maritime emergencies (CCME) said on Friday.
On Thursday evening, a 115-metre-long freighter collided with an 82-metre-long freighter around 25 kilometers northwest of the island of Borkum. At this time, the reason of the two freighters' collision has not yet been established and German water police is investigating.
The larger freighter, PAKSOY 1, sailing under Turkish flag was travelling with a crew of 16 people. On the other Dutch-flagged freighter, EEMS COBALT, five people were on board. CCME confirmed on Friday, that the accident left no one injured.
On the starboard side of EEMS COBALT, water penetrated through a leak, a spokesperson of CCME said. A boarding team was sent to "investigate the situation and support the crew". One of the three patrol ships of the German coast guard as well as a sea rescue cruiser by the German Maritime Search and Rescue Association (DGzRS) were part of the operation.
PAKSOY 1 is not loaded while the Dutch freighter contains 1,800 tons of magnesium carbonate, which is "not a hazardous material", the naval emergency agency CCME specified on Friday.
Also involved in the operation were two aircrafts that monitored possible pollution for CCME on behalf of German ministry of transport. The aircraft that flew over the deployment site to monitor any oil spills ascertained that no pollutants had been leaked, according to CCME.
Around three nautical miles of air space as well as the sea area where the two freighters collided were closed until early Friday local time.
