The Norwegian Maritime Authority has detained two cargo ships following a three-vessel collision in Valderhaugfjorden near Ålesund on Sunday, October 4.
The cargo ships Bergfjord and Hav Frakt were seized while the tanker Xanthia was given provisional permission to continue its voyage after inspections. All three ships were damaged, with Bergfjord sustaining substantial bow damage and taking on water.
No injuries were reported among the 30 crewmembers aboard the vessels, and no evacuation was required.
Bergfjord and Hav Frakt were ordered to dock and undergo inspection in Ålesund. Both cargo ships must remain in port until their damage has been repaired and the work approved by the maritime authority.
The authority’s communications adviser, Eivind Kallevik, told local media that Xanthia had sustained impact damage but its hull remained intact. The tanker was permitted to proceed under its own power to Finland to discharge its cargo, after which it must sail directly to Tallinn in Estonia for repairs.
DNV inspected the tanker on the authority’s behalf on the evening of Sunday. The maritime authority conducted its own inspection the following afternoon before granting provisional sailing permission.
Norway’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre received a mayday call through coastal radio at 01:37 on Saturday. A helicopter, a rescue vessel, the Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen, and shore emergency services responded.
The centre coordinated the response at sea, while police received the vessels ashore. The crews remained aboard throughout the response.
Police and rescue personnel described poor visibility and darkness in the fjord at the time. All three vessels were underway when the collision occurred on the east side of Valderøya.
Police are investigating vessel movements and crew actions, examining AIS tracks and technical data from the Norwegian Coastal Administration, and conducting interviews. Tests were carried out on some people aboard, with police reporting no indication of intoxication.
Three people had been given suspect status for careless navigation under the Ship Safety Act by October 5. None have been formally charged at that stage, and police have yet to interview all three captains.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA) has been conducting separate preliminary inquiries.
An NSIA official said the agency was collecting available information, including electronic traces, to establish what happened, with a decision on whether to open a full safety investigation.
The two cargo ships are each 88 metres long and carried seven crew apiece.
Bergfjord sails under the Dutch flag and is owned by Norway’s Fonnes Shipping. Hav Frakt belongs to Faroese shipping company Navigare and was sailing from Karmøy to Vesterålen.
The 147-metre Xanthia, owned by Norway’s Utkilen, carried 16 crew and was the largest vessel involved.
