Witnesses heard loud bangs when the crane ship “Saipem 7000” in Åmøyfjorden outside Stavanger capsized on Thursday. There must have been 275 people on board. Everyone is accounted for, according to police.
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– HRS now reports that the crew of 275 people have been accounted for, the police write on Twitter at 11.07.
No one was injured or missing in the incident. It is now being investigated whether there has been pollution in the sea as a result of the accident, according to the police.
Rescue leader in HRS Southern Norway, Owe Frøland, confirms to VG that the crane ship «Saipem 7000» had a list in the fjord around kl. 10 Thursday.
He tells VG that they have been in contact with the ship, which confirms that some of the lifting equipment on the crane ship failed, which led to them being tilted. There must be some wreckage floating in the fjord.
– A steel wire must have worn out. Some cargo has fallen out on deck, the police write on Twitter at 10.39.
The police informed VG around 10.30 that they had received unconfirmed reports of an explosion on the crane ship. This has thus been refuted.
Barges float upside down
Police also reported that a barge attached to the boat is about to sink.
– The barge now floats upside down in the water. There is major material damage to the deck of the vessel located by the barge, they write in an update at. 11.26.
– There must be major damage to the tires. The situation is currently stable, the police wrote about the ship itself in an earlier message.
The ship, “Saipem 7000”, is one of the world’s largest crane ships, according to Marineinsight.com. It can be partially submerged and has two cranes that can lift up to 7000 tons each.
– As if lightning struck
– We heard insane explosions out there, as if the giant thunder and lightning that struck down, Ommund Vareberg (42) told VG on the phone just after the news of the incident came.
Vareberg, who is from Stavanger and has an activity yard with a view of the fjord, understood that something was wrong when he heard the bangs.
– Then I ran out on the terrace, he told VG.
Vareberg was on the line with VG just after 10.30 on Thursday. He then said that he saw a tugboat that was about 200 meters from the ship, which he estimated was about one kilometer out in the fjord.
“I have not seen smoke or anything like that,” he said, adding that he had not heard any alarm from the ship either.
Data from the service Marinetraffic.com also shows that a tugboat has arrived and is close to the crane ship.
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– Seems to be sinking
Svein Nesse, operations manager in Rogaland fire and rescue, confirmed that the crane ship was with a strong list in the aftermath of the incident. He said that no reports of fire on the ship had been received.
– Those who have called various emergency services have reported loud bangs, but what has caused it is unknown to us, Nesse said at. 10.59.
Sofia Asheim (45) told VG around 10.40 that the crane ship was on its way to the water.
– Part of it has sunk closer to the water. It seems to be sinking still, she said then.
Asheim, who lives by the pier at Tasta, said that the crane ship seemed to be in the sea off Hundvåg. She herself confirms that she heard a powerful explosion, even with the window closed.
According to Asheim, there were two helicopters, a police boat and four lifeboats on site.
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