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Russian cargo ship runs aground off southwest England

A Russian cargo ship with 18 crew members on board has run aground off the coast of Falmouth, Cornwall, in southwest Britain, following bad weather

Tugs manoeuvre the Kuzma Minin, a 16,000-tonne Russian cargo ship, as attempts are made to refloat it after it ran aground off Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth, south west England, Tuesday Dec. 18, 2018. (Ben Birchall/PA via AP)

LONDON (AP) -- A Russian cargo ship with 18 crew members on board has run aground off the coast of Falmouth, Cornwall, in southwest England, following bad weather.

A spokeswoman for Britain's Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the 180-meter (590 foot) vessel "dragged her anchor and grounded" on the western part of the port entrance between Swanpool and Gyllyngvase beaches at around 5:40 a.m. (GMT) Tuesday.

She says the ship carried no cargo and there were no reports of any pollution from the grounding. Tugs will be attached to the vessel and as the tide rises "the plan is to re-float the vessel."

A lifeboat is standing by and the Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team has cordoned off the area around the ship.

Falmouth resident Jess Hughes has described the morning weather as "extreme."