Oil Spill Incident in Büsum Port: THW Continues Effort for Security Maintenance

THW Actively Combating Oil Spill in Büsum Harbor

The Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) is currently engaged in an operation to combat an oil spill in Büsumer Harbor, located in the district of Dithmarschen. The spill occurred on early Wednesday afternoon due to a diesel spill on the passenger ship "MS Funny Girl."

The THW local association Pinneberg has two Mopmatic-Wringers, a device for efficient oil collection from water surfaces, which are being used in the operation. These devices are suitable for light oils up to 15,000 cSt and are frequently used in harbor facilities and canals.

When the incident occurred, the initial fight against the oil film involved oil fire departments from Büsum and Hennstedt, a drone unit from the fire department in Wesselburen, and THW personnel from local associations Meldorf, Heide, and Pinneberg.

Currently, the THW is again in action with 47 personnel from local associations Meldorf, Heide, Pinneberg, Niebüll, Burg-Hochdonn, and Tönning. Tasks include combating the oil spill, technical support through lighting, catering for the deployed personnel, and providing sanitary infrastructure.

Approximately 500 liters of ship diesel entered the harbor basin during the refueling process. To prevent further spread, the harbor was closed to shipping traffic at around 12:00 noon. The collected oil is temporarily stored in a collection tank.

The THW's work in civil protection is based on the commitment of around 88,000 volunteers nationwide. The media team of the regional association is documenting the course of the operation with three more personnel.

The operation was initially declared complete at around 03:30 a.m., but volunteers were called back again on Thursday morning. The operation is ongoing to continue measures to contain and remove the pollutants.

For more information about the THW's commitment at home and abroad, visit www.thw.de. For further inquiries, contact the THW Regional Association Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schleswig-Holstein's Department of Communication at 0431 579330 or [email protected].

The THW is in demand worldwide for emergencies and provides technical and logistical tasks within the framework of the European Union's civil protection mechanism and on behalf of UN organizations. The name of the THW employee currently involved in the oil spill in Büsum is not publicly available.