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Russia cargo ship runs aground on Cornwall beach with 18 crew on board

Kuzma Minin finds trouble off British coast as Met Office issues severe weather warning

Tom Barnes
Tuesday 18 December 2018 11:28 GMT
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Russian cargo ship runs aground off Cornwall

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A 16,000-tonne Russian cargo ship has run aground off a beach in Cornwall amid warnings of severe weather.

The huge vessel, believed to be the Murmansk-registered Kuzma Minin, grounded off Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth at about 5.40am on Tuesday.

The 180m ship had dragged its anchor and had a list of around five degrees, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said.

No cargo is currently loaded on the vessel, which has 18 Russian crew members on board. Tugs will be attached to the ship to help re-float it when the tide rises.

The incident comes after the Met Office issued a yellow warning for severe weather in the area, with winds of up to 65mph forecast.

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Forecasters said high wind and rain was likely to cause disruption across southwest England and South Wales for most of Tuesday, with isolated incidents of flooding and travel delays likely.

“HM Coastguard is currently co-ordinating assistance to a 180-metre bulk carrier which dragged her anchor and grounded on the western side of the port entrance between Swanpool and Gyllyngvase beaches at around 5.40am,” an HM Coastguard spokeswoman said in a statement.

“The vessel has 18 Russian crew on board. There is no cargo on board. She currently has a list of five degrees but there is no report of any pollution.

“Tugs are on their way to the vessel and a lifeboat is standing by at the scene. The Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team have cordoned off an area around the ship.”

Additional reporting by PA

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