別添資料-6
The Stranding of MV ”Pallas” off the Coast of AMRUM
An Oil Pollution Disaster for Sea-Birds
Pallas, Ship Dimensions and Bunker Stocks
Built： 1971 in Finland
GRT： 7997
Length o.a.： 117 m
Breadth： 20 m
Cargo Holds with twin decks
Bunker Stocks： 580 t HFO (ifo 150) and 130 t diesel-oil some 12 m3 of lub-oil
1. Casualty Chronology,25.10. - 27.11.98
On the 25.10.1998 at 15.30 hour the Bahamian freighter PALLAS loaded with a timber cargo in hatches and as deck cargo. Caught fire in the Northsea appr. sixty miles off the Danish port of Esbjerg.
On the 26.10.1998 under westerly winds Bft. 6 and waveheights of 3 - 4 m Danish and German rescue helicopters took onboard the crew having abandoned the distressed vessel. One crewmember died after the rescue operation. PALLAS has got no permission to enter the port of Esbjerg because no suitable special towage assistance was available there. The abandoned ship with still burning timber deck cargo drifted for some time with running engine and 20 degrees rudder angle towards the German coast heading for the isle of Sylt.
Two German governmental owned multipurpose and emergency towing vessels (NEUWERK and MELLUM) reached the PALLAS 6 nm off the coast of Sylt and managed to fasten a preliminary towing connection of double polypropylene wires by boarding a salvage crew with helicopter on-board the burning ship. It was not possible to get onboard the PALLAS the original towing wire because of weight and nonavailabilty of electricity (winch power). Attempts of the NEUWERK to pull from the PALLAS the special towing wire by means of own winches and heavy lines failed because of the deteriorating weather situation and the breaking of turn-around pulleys onboard the ship.
In the evening of the 26.10.1998 PALLAS was under tow by MELLUM heading in westerly direction off the coast of Sylt.
NEUWERK with a special fire brigade on board, MEERKATZE, a fishery protection vessel and MELLUM as emergency towing vessel (ETOV) used all fire monitors to extinguish the flames along the deck cargo. Onboard fire fighting was impossible. The Italian ship management company which is responsible for the PALLAS contracted the salvage tug ALEX GORDON to take over on the 27.10.1998.
Increasing westerly winds of 8 - 9 Bft. and waveheights of 8 - 9 m caused fire extension to all cargoholds despite full spraying capacity of all fire monitors by the escoring and towing vessels. The salvage tug OCEANIC, which at the same time finalised towing of a larger distressed vessel (RUBY XL, 227 m length and 65000 tdw with more than 2000 t fuel oil) from the Dutch EEZ to the Elbe river, was also sent to the PALLAS to assist in fire fighting and - weather permitting - in the salvage operation.
