Islands' freight escape

FEARS that a huge container ship could be blown towards the west coast were eased yesterday. Reports at lunchtime had suggested that the 62,000 tonne British freighter MSC Napoli was only about 30 miles west of the island in heavy seas and was heading eastwards. But two French tugs secured a tow towards the Devon coast, having crossed the traffic separation scheme. The 276-metre vessel, with its hull cracked, passed the Hurd Deep off Alderney at about 2pm.

'She is safely outside Channel Islands waters,' harbour master Captain Peter Gill said yesterday afternoon.

'With the wind direction, it could have come our way and it did come quite a long way our way overnight. It could have been a lot worse - there is no doubt about that.

'We are fortunate that the English and French authorities co-operate very well for the greater benefit of all. Most of our fears have been significantly eased.

'The hull was broken and she is leaking oil, but it is a minor leakage.'

At 3.30pm, the ship was being moved at six-and-a-half knots to Lyme Bay, off Brixham.

'Until she is safely at anchor there is always the possibility something could go wrong, but it shouldn't.'

The crew abandoned the vessel in the English Channel after it was holed and started taking in water off Brittany during storms on Thursday. The freighter had been en route to Sines in Portugal.

There were worries that because the vessel was sagging at bow and stern, it might break its back, causing cargo to float off and fuel oil to leak into the sea.

Royal Navy rescuers saved 26 men from a liferaft and airlifted them to Cornwall.

Yesterday morning, a cable linking the vessel to a French tug parted and reports said it drifted out of control for several hours in the Channel. A tow was eventually re-established, but a specialist pollution treatment vessel stood by off Brest in case the ship started to break up.

Events were co-ordinated between the UK Coastguard Agency, Maritime Coastguard Agency and authorities in France, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Jersey.

'We are being fully informed,' said Captain Gill.

He said that the ship was carrying general cargo, including Land Rovers and bubble gum, and all of it had been loaded and stowed in accordance with international legislation.

A lot of the cargo was paint.

The Prefecture Maritime in Brest claimed that 1,684 tonnes of dangerous products were on board. They included 167 kilos of explosives, 177 tonnes of liquid gas, 462 tonnes of liquid inflammables, 65 tonnes of oxidants, 235 tonnes of corrosive products and 499 tonnes of diverse toxic materials.

Yesterday morning, an MCA representative carried out a full cargo hazard and risk analysis on the potential threat to the Channel Islands and elsewhere.

Maritime union Nautilus has called for a full inquiry.