Ship collides with crane at NE England port

BG Freight Line vessel, BG Orange, with crane collapsed across the ship (Photo: Port of Tyne)

It has been reported that a crane has been damaged at South Shields Port of Tyne, located in north-east England. The incident took place on Sunday, July 19.

According to the Port of Tyne, two ships collided, knocking one of the ships into the crane. A man was taken to hospital following the accident with non life-threatening injuries.

Photographs of the scene show a crane collapsed over the dock. Cargo containers on the BG Freight Line vessel (BG Orange) were also damaged.

The collision has released millions of plastic pellets, known as nurdles, into the sea. These have since been washing up on beaches around the area. The pellets are non-toxic, but degrade very slowly.

Since the first spill, Port of Tyne says that a boom has been installed around BG Orange to prevent the release of additional pellets.