Ship On Autopilot Crashes Into Moselle River Lock Gate, Leaves 70 Vessels Stranded

A cargo ship travelling on autopilot crashed into the Muden lock on the Moselle River on December 8, causing major damage and bringing vessel traffic to a halt for nearly two months.

The accident left about 70 ships stranded across France and Luxembourg, forcing authorities to launch an extensive recovery operation.

According to the Koblenz public prosecutor’s office, the inland cargo vessel was moving at a speed of 12.2 km/h (approximately 6.5 knots) when it struck the lock gates.

Investigations revealed that the ship did not attempt to slow down or stop before the collision, despite regulations requiring the captain to monitor the autopilot and intervene if necessary.

Authorities confirmed that the ship was carrying 1,500 tons of scrap metal and was en route to Mertert, Luxembourg, when it crashe…

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