In the early hours of Thursday morning, the Norwegian general cargo ship MS Hagland Captain became grounded under the Svinesund Bridge on the Swedish side of the border, according to VG and the Swedish Coast Guard. The incident occurred during heavy fog, complicating navigation and response. The ship is reportedly loaded with timber and was in route to Halden when it grounded.
According to Göteborgs-Posten, Swedish authorities received the grounding notification around 02:30 local time, although the vessel likely ran aground close to 01:00. Images from the scene, including ShipIntel tracking data, show the ship resting directly under the bridge span, stationary. The Swedish Coast Guard confirms no injuries have been reported, and no oil spill or water ingress has been observed thus far.
Rescue and response teams are on site. A tug has been commissioned to assist the vessel, but Swedish authorities determined that it would wait until high tide around 15:00 local time to begin a refloating attempt, to minimize risk of further damage. Meanwhile, the Swedish Coast Guard (Kustbevakningen) is conducting an investigation into possible navigational error or environmental conditions that contributed to the grounding.
The Norwegian shipping company Hagland stated that its crew is safe and in communication, and that efforts to refloat the vessel are underway. Its CEO noted that the ship has traversed the same route many times before, but cited the unusual fog as a complicating factor.
Under the supervision of Swedish authorities, the Coast Guard will also examine potential fuel or pollution risks. The ship is reported to carry about 88,000 liters of oil on board, although no signs of leakage have been detected so far.
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