Leaving the port of Klaipeda tanker ran aground near Southern breakwater, having on board 50 thousand tons of fuel oil.A tanker carrying 50,000 tons of fuel oil spun out of control and ran aground onto the seabed just outside the Klaipeda port Dec. 12.
The Panama-registered Princess Pia had just left its moorings in the Lithuanian port and was being piloted out into the Baltic Sea when for unknown reasons it spun out of control during a turn and became stuck in the seabed.

Five tugboats unsuccessfully attempted to pull the fully-loaded tanker out of the sands Dec. 12, and finally some 5,000 tons of crude had to be pumped out of the tanker's wells in order to free the 206-meter-long vessel.

Port officials said no oil had leaked into the sea.

Divers who examined the Princess Pia said the outer hull was ruptured in three places, but that the inner hull was intact and not leaking crude.

The pumping process began Dec. 13, according to rescue officials, and continued until Dec. 16, when the Princess Pia finally was able to refloat.

The tanker was successfully towed to a mole of the Klaipedos Nafta complex where it was fully unloaded and underwent further examinations.

None of the vessel's 21-member crew was injured.