THE HAGUE, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Dutch Maritime Police, in collaboration with the Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate, on Friday launched a criminal investigation into overboard containers near the Wadden Sea Islands in the north of the Netherlands.
The research focuses on the question whether the damage caused is the result of criminal acts and whether someone can be held responsible for the pollution that has arisen.
During the night of Jan. 2, 2019, the cargo ship MSC Zoe lost about 270 containers during stormy weather near the German island of Borkum.
The containers were mainly filled with car parts, toys and furniture, but some also with organic peroxides. In total, approximately 35 containers have now been located, floating in the water or near the coast.
The Wadden Islands and the coast on the mainland have been polluted in the last few days by the washed up containers and their contents, turning the beaches into a mess.
On Friday, Rijkswaterstaat, part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and responsible for the waterway network, already made the Swiss shipping company MSC Zoe liable for the damage caused by the overboard containers.
Rijkswaterstaat stated that a ship with special search equipment, such as sonar, is on its way to the Wadden Islands to search for containers at the bottom of the Wadden Sea.
Dozens of volunteers have already helped clean the beaches at the Wadden Islands. As of Friday, a hundred Dutch soldiers have been deployed to help with the clean-up action. The soldiers cleaned a total of 3 kilometers of beach on Friday already and continue cleaning on Saturday.
It is not yet clear how much time is needed to clean the beaches. For the time being, the military will be deployed for two days.
