Barge MINERVA sunk Antwerp port - skipper dead / 1 missing

[albert van emden]

Today,Aug.17th at 11:15 hrs local time barge MINERVA sunk at quay no.306 P+O Ports,Antwerp,alongside the Chipolbrok vessel CHIPOLBROK MOON.The skipper of the barge was foud dead by divers within the hour after the incident but still 1 person is missing.3 Dockworkers were brought into hospital all with minor injuries.The accident occured while loading direct overboard from barge onto seagoing vessel a heavy lift piece of 154 mtons gross,which came loose from the slings on appr.20 mtrs height and tumbled back into the barge,smashing/cracking the tanktop,after wich the barge sunk immediately.
Divers are still looking for the missing person,believed to be the skipper's wife,but that wasn't confimed yet.

[frederik]

According to the latest reports, the missing person is a dockworker. Rescue workers are still searching in the water. They will try in the next days to lift the barge out of the water. The accident has no influence to traffic in the dock.

[frederik]

Today the salvage workers found the body of the missing dock worker in the engineroom.
The Minerva is now lifted out of the water. The wreck will be transported to Rotterdam. Because the age and the damage to the vessel it will be scrapped.