Evening Standard (London): Alarm as fuel tanker hits Channel wreck

SEAMEN warned today that "Russian roulette" is being played in the Channel after a tanker carrying 70,000 tonnes of aircraft fuel crashed into the wreck of a car transporter which sank last month, risking a massive explosion.

The Turkish-registered tanker ploughed into the submerged Tricolor at full speed during galeforce winds. It is the second time the wreck has been struck.

A strong smell of gas from the fullyladen tanker, which has a crew of 24, initially raised fears that it could explode.

French tug crews on a rescue effort watched anxiously for two hours last night until the rising tide finally allowed the tanker to float to safety and the risk of explosion receded.

Today it is anchored a mile away and is being examined to assess the damage to its bottom and find the source of the gas.

The wreck of the Tricolor, whose pounds 30million cargo of luxury cars was lost when it went down on 14 December after colliding with a container ship, is guarded by the French Navy, surrounded by five light buoys, and has its location broadcast hourly on shipping radio channels.

But there is confusion today over exactly how well warned the Turkish tanker's master, Bulent Yamac, was when he approached the wreck.

Mr Yamac said he had "no idea" it was there and was only alerted by the light buoys - but French authorities said one of their naval boats had told him to change course.

The French Marine Prefecture said its patrol vessel Flamand had radioed the 43,000-tonne tanker and received a message from the captain confirming he would alter course.

A spokesman added: "We do not understand why the collision occurred."

But Mr Yamac, whose 21-year-old tanker was on its way from Antwerp to New York, contradicted the French account.

"I had no idea [the wreck] was there," he said. "I saw some light buoys but I didn't understand what it meant or why they were there.

"I tried to change course and turn to starboard. Visibility was normal and I could see waves breaking, then I knew it must be a wreck because there are no shallows in the area."

The confusion will strengthen calls for a full-scale investigation made today by maritime union Numast into how the world's busiest shipping lane came so close to a disaster.

Union spokesman Andrew Linington said: "We know that the area had been buoyed off and there had been a guard ship in place.

"We would hope an investigation would look at all the circumstances and whether these precautions remained in place.

"On every level this is an accident that couldn't happen - but to many people it will not come as a surprise because there is Russian roulette being played with shipping safety in the Channel."

The wreck is lying in French waters, which means it will be not be up to British authorities to order an inquiry.

The 50,000-tonne Norwegian Tricolor was carrying 2,862 BMWs, Volvos and Saabs when it sank about 30 miles east of Margate on 14 December following a collision with a container ship in thick fog.

Another vessel, a 3,000-tonne Dutch cargo ship called the Nikola, ran aground on the wreckage on 16 December and rescue teams again had to wait until high tide before it could be floated off.

Prior to the collision, a cargo vessel came within 500 metres of the wreck, with an accident only avoided when a passing aircraft sent a warning to the crew.

The wreck is said to be virtually invisible from the bridges of passing ships, and no date has been set for a salvage operation to make the shipping lane safe to the hundreds of vessels which pass each day.