Skip to main content

JCB machines aboard stricken ship in The Solent, southern England

Millions of pounds worth of JCB machines are in danger of being lost aboard a stricken cargo ship that has been listing in The Solent river on England’s south coast. A spokesperson for JCB in the United Kingdom said 105 JCB machines are on board the Hoegh Osaka that has been grounded in The Solent. Machines include 50-tonne and 33-tonne JCB tracked excavators, backhoe loaders, Loadall telescopic handlers, wheeled loading shovels and Teletruk forklifts. All the machines are made at JCB's factories in Staf
January 5, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
A 50-tonne JCB JS500 tracked excavator
Millions of pounds worth of 255 JCB machines are in danger of being lost aboard a stricken cargo ship that has been listing in The Solent river on England’s south coast.

A spokesperson for JCB in the United Kingdom said 105 JCB machines are on board the Hoegh Osaka that has been grounded in The Solent. Machines include 50-tonne and 33-tonne JCB tracked excavators, backhoe loaders, Loadall telescopic handlers, wheeled loading shovels and Teletruk forklifts. All the machines are made at JCB's factories in Staffordshire, England.

"The machines were destined for dealers in the Middle East,” the spokesman said. “We are awaiting further information from the shipping carrier about the current status of the machines and any plans they may have for retrieval."

The coastguard said 25 crew members were rescued from the vessel and operations continued through the night to free the stricken car transporter, according to a BBC report. The 180m long vessel, carrying a combination of vehicles, is listing at 45 degrees.

The Hoegh Osaka was heading to Germany when it ran on to the Bramble Bank, in the entrance to Southampton Water, just off the Isle of Wight, at about 21:30 GMT on Saturday.

Hoegh Autoliners said it was "currently assessing damage and stability issues on board". The ship's owner said one of the crew members was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Rebuilding a historic bridge linking the US and Canada
    March 8, 2016
    While many road authorities in North America are finding it difficult to stretch their bridge assets beyond half a century, one bridge is closing in on its centenary - David Arminas reports The international Peace Bridge, connecting the Canadian province of Ontario with the US state of New York, is 88 years young this year, and still going strong.
  • Skidmarks
    December 15, 2017
    Our Skidmarks page is highly rated by readers. Your input could help make this page even more entertaining. If you come across any amusing road-related stories or pictures email me at [email protected]
  • Building an airport for St Helena
    August 29, 2013
    The remote South Atlantic island of Saint Helena will shortly benefit from the construction of a new airport as well as access roads and supporting infrastructure. This is the biggest construction project in the history of the island, which lies nearly 2,000km off the coast of Africa. The airport is expected to boost economic development for the island’s 4,000 residents with an estimated 20,000 people a year forecasted to visit this highly remote, 122km2 equatorial volcanic outcrop. At present the islan