German authorities are managing a significant fuel spill in Cuxhaven’s harbor, where at least 6,000 liters of fuel leaked after a collision between the German-flagged tanker Capella and the outbound Dutch OSV Coastal Legend. The incident occurred as Capella, a 1,340 dwt vessel, was arriving from Bremerhaven. While it sustained minor damage, Coastal Legend suffered a substantial gash of approximately 80 centimeters and began leaking fuel.
Following the collision, a noticeable "red, oily film" appeared in the harbor, but fortunately, no crew members from either vessel were injured. The German Seaman’s Mission and Stella Maris are assisting the crew post-incident. To contain the spill, oil booms were deployed around Coastal Legend, and a pumping operation commenced to transfer fuel to the bunker vessel Herta. Divers are also working to seal the leak at the ship’s stern.
Authorities deployed an oil reconnaissance aircraft to monitor the situation, successfully preventing most of the fuel from entering the Elbe River. As of later reports, 80 cubic meters of a fuel-water mix had been recovered using skimmers, and the Water Police are investigating the collision’s cause. Shipping traffic on the Elbe remains unaffected.
