Crewmember dead following “violent incident” on containership in Cartagena, Colombia

A crewmember on the British-flagged containership Spirit of Hamburg died of injuries following what is believed to be a “violent incident” with an intruder on board the ship in the port of Cartagena, Colombia, on Thursday, April 16, Hamburg-based Zeaborn Ship Management said in a statement released two days after the incident.

The company said that the exact circumstances of the incident are yet unknown and that local police have started an investigation into the events and conducted interviews with the vessel’s crew.

Zeaborn added that the crew of Spirit of Hamburg will be receiving psychological help following the death of their colleague and that authorities in Colombia have meanwhile granted permission for the vessel to move from berth to the port’s inner anchorage.

Zeaborn has also refuted earlier reports on social media saying that the deceased sailor was a Filipino national.

The company said that it will refrain from making any further statements on the incident in order not to interfere with the investigation.