Martina / Werder Bremen

On 28 March 2000, in poor visibility in Northern Öresund, the Liberian chemical tanker Martina collided with the Maltese container ship Werder Bremen. The collision caused Martina to break in two halves and the stern part sank immediately. The rest of the ship, with a cargo of 600 tonnes of 30% hydrochloric acid, sank after a few hours.

Only 2 out of 7 crew members were saved. Due to the very bad weather, with strong winds and heavy snowfall, it was impossible to reach the ship for 2 days. On 30 March, both parts of the ship were located with the help of remotely operated vehicles. It was decided that a monitored release of the hydrochloric acid was preferred. The bunker oil was successfully pumped up.

No harm was done to the environment by the released hydrochloric acid.

Sources:

- HELCOM, 2002, HELCOM Response Manual - Volume 2
- The Swedish maritime administration, 2000, Report of the collision between the tanker Martina - ELNF7 and the container vessel Werder Bremen - 9HMW6 on 28 March 2000