Russian cargo ship stranded off British coast

Coastguard and crew are currently attempting to refloat the vessel

 The ship ran aground in the early hours on Tuesday morning. Twitter: @alexandriaapesic/ Reuters

A Russian cargo ship has run aground off Cornwall in the UK.

Local authorities said the 180-metre ship, thought to be named Kuzma Minim, ran aground between Swanpool and Gullyngvase beaches at 5.40 am on Tuesday. The vessel was not carrying cargo and had 18 crew on board when it dragged anchor and ended up in the bay.

As the sun began to rise, photos and videos of the stricken boat extremely close to land began to appear online, posted by concerned bystanders on land.

The British Coastguard says it is co-ordinating assistance to the bulk carrier, saying early on Tuesday that “tugs are on their way to the vessel and a lifeboat is standing by”.

About 9.30am, a helicopter landed a ship’s pilot with expert knowledge of the area on to the ship, to assist in efforts to refloat the vessel and extricate it from its current position. Tug boats could be seen attaching ropes for a tow attempt at high tide, local news services reported.

Although the ship is leaning approximately five degrees, the risk of pollution is low, the coastguard said.

One concerned local resident, an 8-year-old boy, has created his rescue scenario out of Lego.