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After accident, freight shipping on the Mosel River in Germany is blocked

Authorities in West Germany said that freight shipping on the Mosel River has been halted after a passenger vessel damaged a lock.

The Moselle, also known as the Moselle River in France, is a major transit route between Germany and France for grains and rapeseed. A police spokesperson confirmed that the transit was stopped after an accident damaged a lock on Wednesday between Koblenz-Trier.

The spokesperson stated that vessels cannot pass through the Sankt Aldegund Lock in either direction.

WSA, the river navigation authority, said that technical experts were inspecting the lock on Thursday. It was not possible to comment yet on the extent of the damage or how long it will affect shipping.

In a press release, German Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder announced that he would visit the accident scene later on Thursday.

Schnieder stated, "I will do all I can to restore the lock's operation as quickly as possible."

After an accident damaged a Mueden lock, south of Koblenz in December, the river was closed for inland waterways traffic. It reopened only in February, after extensive repairs.

WSA's Eric Oehlmann stated that initial indications indicate the concrete structure of the lock and its drive mechanism was not damaged by the accident.

He said that technicians are assessing if it is possible to resume a limited lock operation for waiting vessels to pass.

Oehlmann stated that "if not, we'll find another solution. For example, emergency locks with temporary barriers to control water have proven effective."

During the winter shutdown, a temporary lock allowed ships to pass.

Oehlmann stated that "despite the accident, shipping on the Moselle won't come to a standstill completely." (Reporting and editing by Jane Merriman, Gus Trompiz).

(source: Reuters)