Rescue operations in place to save chems tanker from sinking

08 October 2010 10:16  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS)--Rescue operations have been put in place to try to save a chemical tanker carrying 6,000 tonnes of solvents from sinking off the coast of Brittany, France, following a collision, an official said on Friday.

The YM Uranus, a 120m Malta-registered chemical tanker, hit a Panamanian bulk container 160km off the Brittany coast at around 05:30 hours local time (03:30 GMT), causing damage to the chemicals carrier, a spokeswoman from the Maritime Prefecture in France, which is in charge of the rescue operations.

Its 13 crew members were rescued by helicopter just after the accident.

The spokeswoman said the navy was on board the ship to try to save it from sinking and would attempt to tow the vessel back to the coast.

She said no chemicals had escaped from the vessel, but added that if the situation worsened, "we cannot say it will never happen".

The container ship was heading for Amsterdam from Porto Marghera, Italy.

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By: Hilde Ovrebekk
+44 20 8652 3214

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