VIDEO – If a final attempt to tow the freighter in distress Modern Express fails Monday, he will do more than accompany his stranding on the Landes coast
The cargo ship in distress whose crew was evacuated by helicopter Tuesday continues to drift into the Bay of Biscay and Sunday was a hundred kilometers off the Gironde, indicate the authorities sea.
The ship slowed its drift Sunday morning, about 2 knots (3.7 km / h), but has traveled almost 100 km in 24 hours. It was thus during the afternoon within 100 km west of Arcachon Bay, having continued its southwest drift into the night and the day, told AFP the Prefecture Atlantic Maritime.
towing Attempts of “Modern Express”, which always has a high house stabilized but no apparent entry of water, have failed since Friday afternoon. If towing is not possible, stranding “earlier this week is one of the possible”, said a spokesman of martime Prefecture, Commander Louis-Xavier Renaud. The prefecture relativize “the impact it would have on the environment, as there is no dangerous cargo on board, it’s wood. The only possible result of the possible rejection brêche gasoil bunkers during the grounding. ”
So, a last attempt to tow the freighter will be held Monday, but if that fails, the cargo ship “will fail” on the Landes coast “between Monday night and Tuesday night,” said Sunday Emmanuel de Oliveira, maritime prefect of the Atlantic. “Today, the sea is highest. We have a window of opportunity tomorrow Monday to try to move a trailer. The teams on site will once again do their utmost to complete this transaction, “said the vice-admiral at a press conference. The new attempt to tow should start Monday at dawn, he said. “But if the trailer is not passed tomorrow in the day, the Modern Express will fail on the sandy coast of the Landes department between Monday night and Tuesday night,” he said.
“Over the hours we will specify the stranding point, and the time expected,” said the Prefect. “We will accompany the ship to the course stranding point in trying until the last moment to stop this drift. Then everything will be done to control the consequences of the grounding, “he said.
” The cargo presents no danger to the environment. Bunkers ship propulsion diesel are honest, we have not detected these days no fuel leak, so we consider that the hull is tight today. But when beaching, gaps may occur in the hold, causing limited pollution “, considered the Squadron Vice-Admiral.
The processing means and containment of potential discards are already being implemented, he assured. “If the ship were to fail, we would take a Polmar Plan (Sea marine pollution) and the prefect of the Landes take a dirt Polmar plan to address pollution coming to earth.”
“I Fear not black tide “, however, assured the maritime prefect. He explained wanting “to the fullest extent possible to avoid this stranding.” But if the ship fails, “the bailout today seems to me little likely, given the ship’s condition and his house, and size, I think it is rather towards dismantling that one s’ guide, “said he said.
The Modern Express carries, besides its cargo, 300 tons of fuel oil propulsion. For comparison, the Prestige tanker sank in November 2002 off the coast of Galicia, was carrying 77,000 tons of fuel oil, 63,000 tons of which were discharged. “This has nothing to do with the Modern Express,” said the prefect
Copyright: HANDOUT / REUTERS
Several buildings remained Sunday in the area: a frigate, a tug, a French-pollution vessel, and two Spanish tugs hired by the Lifesaving Society <. / p>
The Modern Express, 164 m long, recently built (2001) and registered in Panama Tuesday had issued a distress signal at 280 km from the northwest tip of Spain, following a heavy list, perhaps due to undocking of its cargo. Its 22 crew were evacuated by Spanish helicopters.
Copyright: Loic Bernardin / AP
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