Transport vessel Akrafell ran aground on a skerry by Vattarnes between Reyðarfjörður and Fáskrúðsfjörður shortly after 4 am this morning. The ship, which is 137-m (450-feet) long, started leaking and all search and rescue units in the East Fjords were called out.
Approximately 20 minutes later the first rescue vessels had arrived. Some units traveled to the scene by land and a Coast Guard helicopter was also called out. The Reyðarfjörður fire squad was called out due to risk of pollution, an ICE-SAR press release reveals.
The ship has a crew of 12, who immediately started pumping water out of it but couldn’t keep up. After the rescue vessels arrived, half the crew members left the ship, while search and rescue volunteers boarded the Akrafell with more pumps.
According to RÚV, a Coast Guard vessel is now also on its way to the scene and attempts will be made to float the ship at high tide at noon. There is still more water leaking into the ship than can be pumped out of it. Divers will examine the body of the ship. No oil leak has been detected.
