Shipwreck of Grande America, Italian cargo ship

An Italian cargo ship sank on 12 March 2019 in the Bay of Biscay following a fire that broke out two days earlier. The fire, initially under control, extended to the cargo. No casualties were reported among among the 27 people on board.

The cargo, owned by the shipowner Grimaldi, transported from Hamburg to Casablanca cars and containers forty-five of which containing hazardous substances. The relevant authorities in France have begun the identification of the exact content of the cargo in order to limit the ecological damage of the shipwreck.

It should be noted that an oil slick of about ten kilometers was formed near the place where the Italian ship sank.

The ship, called Grande America, was built in 1997. It was retained at dockside in 2010 due to the 35 problems it caused.

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