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Fire rages on Japan cargo ship

Greaser | 26.11.2002 22:09

ANYONE FOR A SPOT MORE OIL ??? POLLUTION THAT IS !!!!
A fire is raging onboard a cargo ship carrying almost
4,000 cars and thousands of gallons of fuel oil off the
coast of Japan. The fire has caused local people to flee

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2514087.stm
Tuesday, 26 November, 2002, 10:45 GMT

Fire rages on Japan cargo ship

The fire has caused local people to flee
A fire is raging onboard a cargo ship carrying almost
4,000 cars and thousands of gallons of fuel oil off the
coast of Japan.

The Hual Europe, which has
been stranded off Izu
Oshima since running
aground two months ago,
caught fire on Monday. The
cause of the fire is not
known.

Dozens of residents from
the small island, about
100 kilometres south of
Tokyo, have been
evacuated amid fears that
the cargo may explode.

Dense smoke has been
rising from the ship, which
is now tilting at a 60 degree angle towards the shore.

Firefighters helpless

"We cannot fight the fire because the water is too
shallow for firefighting vessels but too far from shore for
land based firefighting units," said a Japanese coast
guard, quoted by AFP.

Around 50 volunteer
firefighters are standing by
to fight the blaze.

A helicopter and three
patrol ships are monitoring
fuel oil which is leaking
from the ship.

The ship was carrying
3,689 vehicles and
1,300,000 litres (338,000
gallons) of fuel oil when it
set off for Jamaica.

About 40,000 litres (8,800
gallons) of fuel are still
thought to be on board.

Thirty-one residents have
been evacuated as officials fear that the remaining
cargo could explode.

Oil has been washing onto the shore in Izu Oshima
since the Hual Europe ran aground, stopping fisherman
from catching lobsters and other sea life.

Greaser