Grimaldi con-ro vessel capsizes in Antwerp

Grimaldi con-ro vessel capsizes in Antwerp A multipurpose container and roll-on/roll-off vessel operated by Grimaldi Lines capsized in the Belgian Port of Antwerp earlier today.
   The 25,350-deadweight-ton “Republica di Genova” rolled onto its starboard side in a dead end dock, said Port of Antwerp Capt. Jan Persi. He added that the captain of the ship ordered the crew to evacuate when the vessel started to take on water.
   The 216-meter-long vessel has a capacity for 3,666 vehicles and 1,015 TEUs. Karel Verbeke, head of Grimaldi Belgium, told the VRT radio network that the ship had about 300 containers and cars on board when the ship rolled over, with several going overboard. Retrieving them “will take a few days. Luckily there are no victims or consequences for the environment,” Verbeke said.
   The incident caused shipping in and out of the Verrebroekdock to be halted, but not on the Scheldt River that links Antwerp to the North Sea.