Classification
- Incident Type: Collision
- Severity: High
- Region: Baltic Sea
- Investigation body: Klaipėda County Chief Police Commissariat, Port Police Division
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Barta |
| Vessel Type | Tug |
| Flag State | Lithuania [LT] |
| IMO Number | 8853910 |
| Gross Tonnage | 182 |
| LOA (m) | 29.3 |
| Breadth (m) | 8 |
| Owner/Operator | Klaipėda Stevedoring Company (KLASCO) |
| Other vessel | Magdalena, Malta-flagged cargo ship |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2008-04-10 |
| Location | Klaipėda State Seaport, quay No. 103 |
| Region | Baltic Sea |
| Coordinates | 55.7128, 21.1350 |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | |
| Vessel outcome | Barta capsized and sank; divers raised it on 2008-04-12 |
| Physical damage | A hole was punched in Barta's side |
Key facts
- At about 18:15 on 10 April 2008, Barta ran against Magdalena's bow while taking away the towline at quay No. 103.
- Barta capsized and sank. Three crew members were aboard; a rescue cutter recovered one, while the captain and a sailor died.
- The Klaipėda State Seaport Authority reported a hole in Barta's side and stated that divers lifted the tug on 12 April.
- Later prosecution reporting attributed the casualty to Magdalena's reported speed above the six-knot port limit and an improper towline-delivery method.
Narrative
On 10 April 2008, the tug Barta was assisting the Malta-flagged cargo ship Magdalena during a mooring operation in the Klaipėda State Seaport. The Klaipėda State Seaport Authority reported that at about 18:15, at quay No. 103, Barta ran against Magdalena's bow while taking away the towline. The tug capsized and sank, and the collision punched a hole in its side.
Three Barta crew members were aboard. The port authority's rescue cutter Zaibas recovered one person from the water, but the captain and a sailor were not saved. Divers lifted Barta on 12 April 2008. The official port release stated that responsible institutions were investigating the cause.
Later reporting on the prosecution account said that the pre-trial investigation attributed responsibility to Magdalena's captain and the Klaipėda port pilot. The prosecutor's account stated that Magdalena was proceeding above the six-knot maximum port speed and that an improper method had been used to deliver the towline. It described Magdalena's bow striking, overturning, and passing over Barta. Those points are reported allegations from the indictment and prosecution statement, not a final court finding. No final judgment or separate marine accident investigation report has been identified.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2008-04-10 18:15 local | Barta was taking away the towline during Magdalena's mooring operation at quay No. 103. |
| 2008-04-10 | Barta struck Magdalena's bow, capsized, and sank. |
| 2008-04-10 | The Zaibas rescue cutter recovered one crew member; two crew members died. |
| 2008-04-12 | Divers lifted Barta. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Collision during mooring operation | Confirmed finding | The port authority reported that Barta ran against Magdalena's bow while taking away the towline. |
| Magdalena's speed | Reported | The prosecution account stated that Magdalena exceeded the six-knot port limit. No final judicial finding has been identified. |
| Towline-delivery method | Reported | The prosecution account stated that an improper and prohibited towline-delivery method was used. |
Investigation
The Klaipėda State Seaport Authority initially reported that responsible institutions were investigating. A later prosecution report stated that the Klaipėda County Chief Police Commissariat's Port Police Division completed a pre-trial investigation and that charges were filed against Magdalena's captain and the port pilot. The report describes the prosecution's account of speed and towline handling, but no final court disposition or separate marine accident investigation report has been identified.
References
- Klaipėda State Seaport Authority: Tug-boat sank in port waters
- Kauno diena: For the Barta accident, Magdalena's captain and the port pilot will be held responsible