By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Salvage teams on Sunday battled to secure a damaged container ship grounded off the English coast, as 200 tons of oil and other hazardous materials threatened the nearby coastline.
The stricken MSC Napoli was deliberately run aground in waters close to Sidmouth, southwest England, after it was damaged during a storm on Thursday. Navy helicopters rescued the vessel's 26 crew members in rough seas, 45 miles (70 kilometers) off Lizard Point on England's southwest tip.
Salvage teams had hoped to secure the ailing vessel but their efforts have been hampered by gale force winds, leaving an eight kilometer (five mile) sheen of oil on the water's surface.
French maritime officials said that of the 41,700 tons of merchandise in the ship's 2,400 containers, 1,700 tons were considered dangerous, including battery acid, explosive and flammable material. The containers also hold motorcycles, car parts and oak barrels.
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