A tugboat sank in Bremen’s industrial harbor on Wednesday evening after a large drilling rig fell onto it during a construction operation on the River Weser. The incident happened near the ArcelorMittal steel plant.

One person suffered minor injuries, according to the fire department.

The tugboat, named Orca, was working to tow a crane barge to a construction site in the harbor when the rig’s derrick on the barge suddenly collapsed forward and fell onto the tug.

The accident caused major damage, leading the tugboat to sink. The mast and funnel of the sunken tug were still visible above the waterline.

Emergency services were alerted around 8 p.m. Since the site of the accident couldn’t be accessed by land, the fire department sent a rescue boat.

Um den Unfallort wurden Ölsperren aufgebaut…https://t.co/EhOROvUnV1

— Bert Walther (@Bertmwalther) July 24, 2025

One person who was on the vessel at the time of the accident was rescued and had only minor injuries. The rest of the tugboat’s crew managed to escape safely and were not hurt.

Due to the sinking, a quantity of fuel leaked into the water. Local companies and emergency teams quickly set up oil booms around the sunken vessel to prevent the fuel from spreading. Officials said the amount of fuel spilled is still unknown.

A fire department spokesperson said the crane tipped over and crashed onto the tugboat, but the reason for the collapse is still unknown. The Orca, which is 27 meters long, was badly damaged and is now underwater in the harbor basin.

Special teams are preparing to recover the sunken tug and the collapsed rig. Salvage operations are expected to take place in the coming days. In the meantime, oil containment efforts will continue at the site to prevent environmental damage.

References: ndr, kreiszeitung

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