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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/dec/18/russian-cargo-ship-runs-aground-off-coast-of-cornwall-kuzma-minin
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| Cornwall coastguards try to refloat grounded Russian cargo ship | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A rescue operation is under way to try to refloat a Russian cargo ship that ran aground off a Cornish beach after strong winds caused it to drag anchor. | |
| The 16,000-tonne Kuzma Minin was photographed before dawn grounded off Gyllyngvase beach near Falmouth. | The 16,000-tonne Kuzma Minin was photographed before dawn grounded off Gyllyngvase beach near Falmouth. |
| @BBCCornwall @Skentelbery getting busy with sightseers already. I am leaving now but people have to let the emergency services do their job. Please all people to stay off the beach.. pic.twitter.com/ylEgyE1Vex | @BBCCornwall @Skentelbery getting busy with sightseers already. I am leaving now but people have to let the emergency services do their job. Please all people to stay off the beach.. pic.twitter.com/ylEgyE1Vex |
| HM Coastguard plans to try to refloat the 180-metre carrier, which was listing at low tide. | HM Coastguard plans to try to refloat the 180-metre carrier, which was listing at low tide. |
| Just before 9am on Tuesday a coastguard pilot was winched on to the stranded ship via helicopter. | |
| Falmouth’s harbour master, Mark Sansom, said: “We are in the process of getting a pilot on board the vessel by helicopter and there are other personnel going to assess the situation. We are expecting the weather conditions to improve and we’ll be looking for an opportunity to refloat the vessel.” | |
| Earlier, in a statement the coastguard said the Kuzma Minin grounded at 5.40am after dragging its anchor during strong winds. | Earlier, in a statement the coastguard said the Kuzma Minin grounded at 5.40am after dragging its anchor during strong winds. |
| It said: “She currently has a list of five degrees but there is no report of any pollution. Tugs are on their way to the vessel and a lifeboat is standing by at the scene. The Falmouth coastguard rescue team have cordoned off an area around the ship. | |
| “Tugs will be attached to the vessel and as the tide rises, the plan is to refloat the vessel.” | “Tugs will be attached to the vessel and as the tide rises, the plan is to refloat the vessel.” |
| The ship, which has 18 Russian crew on board but no cargo, was reported to have set off from the port of Terneuzen in the Netherlands. | The ship, which has 18 Russian crew on board but no cargo, was reported to have set off from the port of Terneuzen in the Netherlands. |
| Former Falmouth senior pilot captain David Barnicoat said the accident occurred during “horrendous” winds. | Former Falmouth senior pilot captain David Barnicoat said the accident occurred during “horrendous” winds. |
| Speaking to BBC Radio Cornwall, he said: “It’s a classic grounding in bad weather and strong winds. The wind overnight was pretty horrendous. Where I live I hadn’t heard wind like it for quite a few years.” | |
| He added: “It sounds as if she dragged anchor and the engines may not have been ready or she may have had some other problem. Once that anchor breaks from the sea bed and you start dragging then you have no control whatsoever.” | He added: “It sounds as if she dragged anchor and the engines may not have been ready or she may have had some other problem. Once that anchor breaks from the sea bed and you start dragging then you have no control whatsoever.” |
| He said he feared local tugs would not have the power to pull the boat to safety. | |
| Barnicoat said: “Our tugs won’t be powerful enough to get her off unless the wind dies right away. You need something of about 100 tonnes and we just don’t have that available.” | Barnicoat said: “Our tugs won’t be powerful enough to get her off unless the wind dies right away. You need something of about 100 tonnes and we just don’t have that available.” |
| He also warned of the risk of pollution if the ship hit nearby rocks. | He also warned of the risk of pollution if the ship hit nearby rocks. |
| “It little bit rocky where she is, so there could be some pollution. Just to the south-west of the beach it is all rocky shoreline so there is potential for pollution.” | “It little bit rocky where she is, so there could be some pollution. Just to the south-west of the beach it is all rocky shoreline so there is potential for pollution.” |
| Ian Cocklin, a former sailor in the Royal Navy, tweeted pictures of the boat saying: “It’s huge and it’s close.” | Ian Cocklin, a former sailor in the Royal Navy, tweeted pictures of the boat saying: “It’s huge and it’s close.” |
| @BBCCornwall @Skentelbery it's huge and it's close.... pic.twitter.com/pldtJCrXTc | @BBCCornwall @Skentelbery it's huge and it's close.... pic.twitter.com/pldtJCrXTc |
| The website Marine Traffic shows the position of the grounded vessel. High tide occurs in Falmouth just after 1pm. | The website Marine Traffic shows the position of the grounded vessel. High tide occurs in Falmouth just after 1pm. |
| Marine Traffic map showing the position of the stranded Kuzma Minin off Falmouth pic.twitter.com/NJ8gNE6Xg6 | Marine Traffic map showing the position of the stranded Kuzma Minin off Falmouth pic.twitter.com/NJ8gNE6Xg6 |
| Falmouth resident Jess Hughes described the morning’s weather on the Cornish coast as “extreme”. | |
| “As you come over the crest of the hill there’s just this huge ship where there shouldn’t be,” she told the Press Association. “Last night it was horrendously windy and now there’s gravel up by the road so it was a good high tide,” she added. | |
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