The ship "MV Ruby" was loaded in the Russian port of Kandalaksha at the end of August and subsequently set course for Las Palmas in Mallorca. It then sailed to Tromsø in Norway, where it was photographed. Norwegian authorities detained the ship and later rejected it due to the cargo. Now Malta has also refused to accept the ship. Photo: 200 Stian Saur/Nordlys/Tt/Ritzau Scanpix
Malta denies damaged ship with dangerous cargo
Malta has refused to allow the damaged cargo ship ‘MV Ruby’ to dock in its ports due to its cargo of 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, a substance used in fertilizers but also as an explosive. The ship, under Maltese flag but owned through Syrian and Lebanese connections, was denied entry previously by Norway and Lithuania. The incident follows the ship’s damage after leaving the Russian port of Kandalaksha and its rejection in Tromsø, Norway, for repairs due to the dangerous cargo. Chemist Peter Hald states that ammonium nitrate is not particularly hazardous when transported correctly. The ‘MV Ruby’ had been drifting near Denmark and Norway before heading towards Malta, where it was denied entry without offloading its risky cargo.