The container ship being re-floated last week

MSC NAPOLI to be cut into two
Beached container ship will be split after cracks discovered longer than expected

Today there will be an operation to separate the stricken container ship MSC NAPOLI into two pieces.

The ship was deliberately beached after a re-floating operation last week and inspections revealed cracks in her hull were much worse than thought, meaning she was in no condition to be towed to a dock.

The operation will be carried out initially to cut the deck plates, with a further operation on Wednesday to cut the longitudinal joists. It is then hoped that this will allow the part of the ship forward of the accommodation block to be parted from the stern.

This will be done with the assistance of tugs.

The operation will be carried out by experts and will be undertaken in a controlled manner said the Maritime &  Coastguard Agency

To enable this operation to take place it will be necessary to implement safety restrictions within the immediate area. There will be a 1000 metre exclusion zone placed around the vessel, and navigational warnings will be issued.

The public are reminded that some more residual oils may be released when the ship parts. The contractors appointed by the ships owners are dealing with the reports of oil coming ashore on beaches.

It is inevitable that some oil will be left in the wreck. However, all parties are working together to ensure that the operation minimises damage to the local environment.

Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police will close a number of footpaths around Branscombe prior to the cutting charges being detonated on the MSC NAPOLI

Emma Webber, Superintendent (Operations) for the forces North and East Devon Basic Command Unit (BCU) said,
 

"Public safety is of paramount importance to us and as some of the coastal paths are within the 1000 metre exclusion zone from the vessel we will close them onTuesday 17 July 2007 from Midday until after the detonation has taken place.

"I ask that the public do not try to get to the cliff edge to see the ship as this will mean they put themselves into the danger area.

"Parking remains very restricted in the village itself and motorists are asked not to try to get down to the beach. Traffic motorcyclists will be patrolling the area and will deal robustly with vehicles which are causing obstructions.

"I appreciate that the closures may cause some inconvenience to those people who may want to use the paths but we will lift any restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so.