Oops! Ship Hits Bridge, Causing Damage but No Injuries
- Operations continuing unaffected in the central command center.
Hey there! Here's the lowdown on a curious incident that went down recently. A vessel sailing under the Maltese flag got itself into a pickle when it smacked into a road bridge in Berching — a district nestled in the beautiful Upper Palatinate region of Bavaria, Germany.
The accident altered the bank account balance of the local constabulary, racking up an estimated 200,000 euros in damages. And guess what? No one even got a scratch! Whew! Sounds like a close shave!
So, what happened? Well, our seafaring hero, the ship's captain, forgot to tuck in his wheelhouse (yep, that's the fancy term for the cockpit bit on the ship) before passing under the bridge. As a result, the roof of the wheelhouse got ripped off and shoved backwards, but thankfully, there was no one inside at the time. The bridge, on the other hand, remained unfazed by the ordeal.
The approximately 135-meter-long floater was eventually secured upstream, safe and sound in a lock, for a thorough examination post-incident. The boat was harboring a whopping 133 passengers and 56 crew members during the whole shebang, but they all stayed put for the time being.
- Floatilla (that's a fun synonym for "ship")
- Neumarkt in the Upper Palatinate (The Grand Upper Palatinate?)
- Bavaria (Land of Beer and Oktoberfest)
The community in Berching, Bavaria, has been debating a new policy regarding the height restrictions of vessels sailing under Maltese flag, following the recent collision of a floilla with a road bridge.
In light of the incident, a local vocational training center is considering offering courses on ship navigation and bridge clearance for fresh seafarers.
Unsurprisingly, the flag of Maltese now waves on the bridge as a reminder of the close shave, serving as a constant lesson for future captains who may be navigating Neumarkt in the Upper Palatinate area.
