“TEXACO CARIBBEAN” Disaster

source: https://cdnc.ucr.edu

DOVER, England (UPI)—A Peruvian freighter sliced into an empty Panamanian tanker in the English Channel early today, cutting it in two and causing it to explode with a blast that shattered windows on the shore nine miles away. Nine of the crew of the 3,604ton tanker Texaco Caribbean were missing and feared dead. Twenty were rescued. Fears the collision would produce an oil slick reminiscent of the 1967 Torrey Canyon disaster were eased when crewmen reported the Texaco Caribbean was empty. The Peruvian vessel, the 9,481-ton Paracas, limped to a buoy near the accident site and tied up, a salvage ship at her side.

The bow of the Texaco Caribbean sank almost immediately. The Coast Guard said the stern eventually would follow. Other ships in the region, 10 miles off Dover on Britain’s southeast coast, sped to the scene along with rescue boats from shore and plucked 20 of the tanker’s crewmen from the water other 9 lost their lives, one of the victim was the Radio Officer , all crewmembers were Italians. Most were suffering from shock. Wrapped in blankets, some of them only in nightclothes, the Texaco Caribbean crewmen were taken to hospitals suffering from an assortment of cuts, bruises and abrasions. “None of us really know what happened,” said one, an Italian. “I was sleeping a the time. There was a crashing noise of the collision and then a terrific explosion.”

Visibility at the time of the collision was one mile, according to the Coast Guard, and increased to three miles at dawn as ships, boats and air rescue teams pressed the search for the missing Texaco Caribbean crewmen.

The British coastal authorities placed 3 vertical green lights on site to warn other ships of the presence of the wreck. However, the following day the West German freighter Brandenburg hit the Texaco Caribbean and sank a few minutes later. Lifeboats did not have the time to arrive. Only 11 out of 32 crew members were rescued by local fishing boats. The bodies of 7 crew members were found and 14 remained missing.

A light ship and 5 light buoys were added on site but on 27 February, the Greek vessel the Nikki, sailing from Dunkirk to Alexandria, ignored the warnings and collided with the submerged wrecks. The tanker the Hebris was in the area at the same time. The crew saw the Nikki sinking and sent radio messages. The Hebris came closer as people were seen at sea but when she arrived on site there was nobody left. The Nikki went down with her entire crew.

The 3 wrecks represented a serious hazard for passing ships. A second lightship and about 10 more buoys were added. However within 2 months, British coastal authorities reported 16 ships for having ignored the lightships and buoys. Luckily, there were no further incidents.

The company Risdon Beazley Ulrich Harms Ltd from Southampton was contacted to remove the wrecks of the Texaco Caribbean, the Brandenburg and the Nikki. The operation lasted 18 months. During that time the area was signalled by 2 lightships and 14 lighted buoys.

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