Germany: stranded cargo ship to be freed before weekend

BERLIN – German authorities say they hope to tow free a 225-meter (738-foot) cargo ship that ran aground on a North Sea sandbank before the weekend.

The Panama-flagged bulk carrier Glory Amsterdam drifted onto the sandbank off the island of Langeoog during a storm on Sunday, with 22 crew members on board. Rescuers originally hoped to free it at high tide a day later but determined that the water around the ship was too shallow for tugboats.

Germany's central command for maritime emergencies said late Tuesday that it has put in place a rescue plan that involves using up to 1,000-meter (3,280-foot) tow lines and pumping ballast water out of the ship. It doesn't plan to try pumping out the 1,800 tons of fuel oil and 140 tons of diesel.