Several ports in various European countries, including Lithuania, denied access to the ship.
A cargo ship carrying 20,000 tons of potentially explosive ammonium nitrate from the Russian city of Kandalaksha in the Murmansk region entered the English Channel, separating France and Great Britain.
The French television channel BFM TV reported this.
The 183-meter-long cargo ship, owned by the Maltese company Ruby Enterprise, left the Russian port on August 22 and almost immediately got caught in a strong storm. The ship was briefly given shelter in a Norwegian port, but on September 4 it had to go out to sea again.
Since then, several ports in various European countries, including Lithuania, have denied the ship access to the dock. This is because the cargo ship was damaged by the storm and its cargo, although ammonium nitrate is regularly used as a fertilizer, has a high explosive potential.
“It's a floating bomb… In my opinion, it's a threat to maritime security and coastal populations, and to minimize the risk, we'll have to consider transferring small quantities of ammonium nitrate to small boats,” industrial risk management specialist Paul Poulain told the channel.
Manche maritime prefecture spokesman Etienne Baggio assured that the situation was under control.
“We're monitoring [the ship]. There are direct links with the British authorities and the shipowner, which will allow us to intervene extremely quickly if necessary,” he says.
At the same time, the necessary assistance to the cargo ship, if such a need arises, will be provided on the high seas; no port call is planned.
Mark Forgione, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Export and International Trade, points out the enormous environmental risks in the event of an accident.
In Malta, the final destination of the cargo ship Ruby, authorities have already warned that the ship will not be allowed to dock while it has ammonium nitrate on board.
Recall that on August 4, 2020, in the port of the Lebanese capital Two powerful explosions rocked Beirut, creating a mushroom cloud over the city. According to the Lebanese government, 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in the port after being stored in a warehouse without proper safety precautions for six years.
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