“Today, early in the morning, during the towing that began on February 24, the ship Felicity Ace lost stability and sank at about 25 nautical miles, which is equivalent to 46 kilometers, in an area whose depth is about 3 thousand meters”. With this message, the Portuguese Navy certified the submersion of a car carrier near the Azores region.
Although fortunately there are no deaths to be regretted, since the 22 crew members of the Felicity Ace could be evacuated satisfactorily, the incident has caused millions in economic costs and environmental damage that has yet to be assessed.
According to the North American media, an analysis carried out by the risk management company Russel Group estimates that the losses amount to a value of 438 million dollars, of which 400 correspond to the vehicles that were transported.
In addition, as the specialized media has been able to verify, the ship was carrying some 4,000 Volkswagen Group vehicles, being able to house models from brands such as Volkswagen itself, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini or Bentley. Now, they lie at the bottom of the sea, 3,000 meters deep.
Without mourning any deceased
“The merchant ship Felicity Ace, which was sailing 90 nautical miles (about 170 km) southwest of the island of Faial, suffered a fire on board on February 16. The 22 crew members were rescued and safely transported to the Horta airport”, says the Portuguese Navy in its statement.
Merchant ship “Felicity Ace” sinks for the Portuguese Economic and Exclusive Zone
Today, during the reboot, which began on February 24, the ship “Felicity Ace” lost stability and tended to sink.
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— Marinha (@MarinhaPT)
Despite efforts to mitigate the flames, the ship began to sink and had to be abandoned. Although some media speculate that the fire originated from the burning of a lithium battery belonging to one of the electric cars that were transported, the truth is that the causes of the incident have not yet been determined.
In addition, according to The Washington Post, the sailors did not detect fires either inside or outside the ship when they landed to begin rescue efforts, the Navy said.
A sensitive area for the environment
Now, efforts are focused on mitigating the possible environmental damage that the sinking of a key feeding area for migratory species, such as blue and humpback whales, can cause, according to the Blue Ocean environmental foundation.
In this regard, the Navy indicated the presence of a small stain of oily residue in the area. However, government agencies are monitoring the situation, since the ship was carrying “around 2,200 tons of fuel and 2,200 tons of oil, along with other contaminants, such as metal parts, plastics, electrical cables, and paint,” the report specifies. american newspaper.
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