 |
Japanese
'ghost ship' shortly before sinking. (Associated
Press / April 6, 2012 )
Smoke rises from a Japanese "ghost ship"
after it was hit by canon fire from a U.S. Coast Guard vessel.
|
A
Japanese "ghost ship" that has haunted the open seas since it was set
adrift by last year's devastating tsunami has finally found a resting place --
on the ocean floor.
A
U.S. Coast Guard cutter opened cannon fire on the vessel Thursday, sinking it
about 180 miles west of Alaska
A
column of smoke could be seen rising from the 164-foot Ryou-Un Maru as the
Coast Guard began its assault. It took about four hours for the ship to vanish
from sight, Chief Petty Officer Kip Wadlow told the Associated Press.
The
ship's restless journey had become a symbol of the way in which Japan
That
tsunami swept about 5 million tons of debris out to sea, according to the AP,
and pieces continue to wash up on shores throughout the Pacific
Ocean .
The
waves created in the wake of the 9.0 earthquake also ripped the Ryou-Un Maru
from its moorings in Hokkaido , Japan
The
former shrimping vessel had been designated for scrapping and no longer had a
communication system -- or any lights. That spooky image led the drifting
vessel to be dubbed a "ghost ship." Sometimes, the ship moved along
as slowly as one mile per hour.
In
the year since the vessel was set adrift, authorities have mulled over how to
deal with it -- and with the potential risks it posed to other vessels in the
area.
One
concern: The ship's rusting hull tank was able to carry more than 2,000 gallons
of diesel fuel, according to the AP, although it was not clear how much fuel,
if any, was aboard.
The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental
Protection Agency ultimately concluded it would be safest to sink the ship and
let any fuel dissipate in the open water, according to the Associated Press.
"It's
less risky than it would be running into shore or running into [maritime]
traffic," Coast Guard spokesman Paul Webb told the news service.
Source: By Rene Lynch. 6
April 2012
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