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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.

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