The MV Grande America on fire in the Bay of Biscay, March 12, 2019. Photo: Maritime Prefecture Atlantic
PARIS, March 14 (Reuters) – French authorities battled on Thursday to contain an oil slick after the Italian Grande America ship capsized in the Atlantic this week.
The Grimaldi Lines container ship capsized and sank on Tuesday, after catching fire while sailing from Hamburg to Casablanca. Britain’s Royal Navy frigate Argyll rescued all 27 crew members from the water.
The ship was carrying 2,200 tonnes of heavy fuel when it sank some 330 km (200 miles) off the coast from La Rochelle in western France. Footage from the French navy showed thick black smoke pouring from the vessel.
French authorities said a slick measuring 10 km (6 miles) long and 1 km wide could reach the coast of southern Brittany by the end of the weekend.
[#GrandeAmerica] Images de la nappe d’hydrocarbures depuis l'avion de patrouille maritime @MarineNationale : elle s'étend sur 10 km de long pour 1km de large. @SGMer @MarineNationale @EMSA_LISBON @FdeRugy @douane_france @CedreBrest @SecCivileFrance @MarinsPompiers @Min_Ecologie pic.twitter.com/bIcLFL6liv
— Premar Atlantique (@premaratlant) March 14, 2019
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Environment Minister Francois de Rugy both said they were closely monitoring the situation.
A Grimaldi representative in France declined to comment. Company officials in Italy could not immediately be reached for comment.
(Reporting by Lucien Libert and Danielle Rouquie; Editing by Alison Williams)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019.
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.
Join the 108,853 members that receive our newsletter.
Have a news tip? Let us know.
The South Korean containership SM Portland has reported significant cargo damage and container losses while transiting to Vancouver through the Bering Sea. According to a March 5th customer alert from...
Salvage operations for the grounded containership MSC Baltic III face continued challenges as Canadian Coast Guard officials confirm the vessel cannot be safely refloated, according to the latest update released today.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed today that a simple data entry error led to the loss of 23 containers and damage to 10 others aboard the U.S-flagged containership...
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 108,853 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
