Cargo ship freed after becoming stuck in river

A cargo ship that got stuck in a river has now reached its destination after being freed.

The captain of the Baltic Arrow reported "grounding" in the River Nene, Wisbech, in Cambridgeshire, at about 08:49 BST on Tuesday.

The 80 metre (262ft) vessel was sailing to the Port of Wisbech from Riga, in Latvia.

It was freed by the Wisbech Harbour Authority at 21:52 on Tuesday and sailed into the port at 22:30.

The river bed is soft where the ship grounded, said a Wisbech Port spokesperson

"All staff and crew are safe and no injuries were reported," said a spokesperson for Fenland District Council, the statutory harbour authority for the River Nene.

They added: "The Baltic Arrow ran aground on the morning of Tuesday 25 June between Wisbech and Ferry Corner whilst carrying a cargo of timber.

"The Wisbech Harbour Authority freed the ship later that evening, allowing it to continue its onward journey into Wisbech under its own power."

Freed from the mud, the Baltic Arrow continues its journey to the Port of Wisbech

A spokesperson for Wisbech Port said the grounding happened because the tide went out while the ship was in contact with the bank.

They added: "All berths at Wisbech port are NAABSA berths, which stands for 'not always afloat but safely aground' so, technically, all vessels ground whilst moored here during low water.

"The river bed is very soft and sludgy here and the vessel is designed to safely ground so we are confident of no on-going issues."

An investigation into the grounding is under way.