A large number of containers were ejected from the ship that hit the Willemsbrug Bridge in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and the ship was stranded under the bridge for hours. An expert assessment is still underway on the bridge to assess the extent of the damage to the ship.
The Dutch Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management, Rijkwaterstaat, reported that at least two containers fell overboard in the incident. The containers were empty and authorities were trying to get them out of the water so that they would not pose a risk to ships. There were no injuries in the incident.
Authorities have closed the bridge while experts assess the damage. Experts are investigating problems with gas pipes and electricity on the bridge. A spokesperson said they aim to open the bridge as soon as possible.
This is not the first time a ship has hit the bridge. Two ships, including the German-flagged “Monika Deymann”, previously hit the bridge in 2022 and 2020. In these incidents, containers were thrown off the ship.
It was noted that the main issue is that the clearance under the bridge changes depending on the tide. It was noted that ship captains must calculate whether the clearance is sufficient for their ships to successfully cross.
