Three large ships collided near Ålesund - cause not yet known.
The police are working to map the sequence of events after a tanker and two cargo ships collided near Ålesund on Sunday night. No one was injured in the incident.
On Sunday night, a comprehensive operation was launched after three vessels were involved in a collision on the Valderhaugfjord near Ålesund.
The largest of the ships is said to be 147 meters long. The ships “Hav Frakt”, “Bergfjord” and “Xanthia” are those involved in the incident.
Two are now docked in Ålesund, while one is anchored out in the fjord. No one was reportedly injured during the collision. Here you can see how the ships moved: https://www.skipsfarts-forum.net/data/video/20/20857-e303a35568aa6257269205787dab7cac.mp4?hash=xROfrW78rb
Here are the ships lying in the fjord shortly after the collision. Photo: Jonny Hellevik
MV Bergfjord received damages in the bow and took on water in the bow thruster compartment:
The m/v “Bergfjord” seems to have made the initial error.
The m/v “Hav Frakt” seems to have compounded the complicated situation, making a three-way collision inevitable.
One wonders if the m/v “Xanthia” saw the approaching vessels when both were nearly parallel (00:03 of video), and tried to call them or sounded her fog horn. She had limited room to maneuver, and it is fortunate that despite being close to shore on her starboard side, there was plenty of depth (assuming the depths are in metes). She nevertheless, makes turns astern to avoid the shore and ends up nearly perpendicular to her course through the narrows.
“Hav Frakt” initially should not have veered to port in an almost parallel course with the “Bergfjord”. That was a critical error, leaving both of the other two vessels with no safe space to turn to, in order to avoid their initial collision with each other (“Bergfjord” into the “Xanthia”).
The “Hav Frakt” saw that the “Bergfjord” was about to collide with the “Xanthia”, she could have, and should have, turned hard to starboard to pass astern of the other two vessels that were in an imminent collision. Instead, in an act of gross negligence, “Hav Frakt” turns to port.
HAV FRAKT (IMO: 9280706) is a General Cargo ship and is currently sailing under the flag of FAROE ISLANDS. The overall length (LOA) is 87.83 meters and the beam is 12.9 meters. Source: Marine traffic . (Here passing through Brønnøysundet on 16 August 2026)
The Faroese shipping company Navigare Shipping Sp/f owns “Hav Frakt.” Director Alvur Højgaard told NRK that there were experienced navigators on board, who have sailed in the area for several years.
UPDATE: M/T Xanthia left Ålesund at 2015 hrs. tonight, heading to Finland:
