Erkowit

While on its way from Liverpool (UK) to Port Sudan (Sudan) in thick fog, the container ship Erkowit was severely damaged following collision with the Durtmond, a German steamboat.

The German vessel managed to save all the crew members of the Erkowit. The container ship was towed away and beached in the Bay of La Coruña. Attempts to repair the vessel with wood failed and strong waves rapidly deteriorated it.

The wreck of the Erkowit and part of its cargo, 2,000 barrels of insecticide, were abandoned on the beach. This incident is highly likely to have resulted in the pollution of the region's coastal waters, but few studies were conducted on the environmental impact.

Sources :

• HOOKE, Norman, 1997, Maritime Casualties 1963-1996, second edition, LLP Limited, London