The passenger ferry Marco Polo (operated by TT-Line Sweden) ran aground in the Baltic Sea off the southern Swedish coastline a week ago, causing a significant oil spill. Now the vessel has encountered a fresh oil leakage issue, as reported by the Swedish coastguard on Sunday, October 29th.
The precise scale of this recent oil seepage remains indeterminate at the present moment.
Further complicating the situation, the vessel has drifted away from its initial location, necessitating the evacuation of some of the remaining crew members. Owing to unfavorable weather conditions, the coastguard relayed that the vessel drifted during the afternoon, leading to an evacuation of the remaining crew members conducted by the Maritime and Air Rescue Center (JRCC). Subsequently, the ship again ran aground, this time about a kilometer away from its previous position.
Initially, the ferry Marco Polo ran aground to the south of Karlshamn on October 22 but managed to continue its voyage briefly before encountering another grounding approximately 5 kilometers later.
All 75 passengers on board, along with a portion of the crew, were safely evacuated.
Subsequently, the vessel has remained immobilized near Horvik, located ~120 km northeast of Malmo.
Swedish authorities have revealed that the ship remains stationary and continues to discharge oil. They expect that several days will pass before a salvage operation can be initiated.
Throughout the week, the coastguard has publicized the recovery of approximately 25,000 liters of oil and oil spillage. According to Swedish authorities, it could potentially require up to a year to thoroughly address the spill.
In response to this incident, Sweden has imposed fines on two crew members of the ferry for their "recklessness in maritime traffic."