The Russian freighter “Ruby” seems destined to sail forever.
After suffering damage, this ship carrying thousands of tons of potentially explosive ammonium nitrate cannot find a port willing to welcome it.
The boat is now heading towards the Strait of Pas-de-Calais.
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A floating bomb near the French coast? Departing on August 22 from Kandalaksha, Russia, the cargo ship “Ruby”, which was initially heading for Malta, suffered a violent storm in the Barents Sea on August 29. As a result, the ship suffered a propulsion failure, a rudder problem… all with a cracked hull, indicated the fire and rescue service of the Norwegian city of Tromsø.
Since then, he has struggled to find a port of refuge due to the 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a substance which notably caused the gigantic explosion at the port of Beirut in 2020. During an escort in Tromsø (Norway), on 1 September, the ship considered to be “fit to sail” was forced by the Scandinavian country to return to sea.
At the end of September, the British daily The Telegraph expressed concern about perhaps seeing “a boat explodes with the force of an atomic bomb” near the English coast. Checks are carried out, while the boat is now heading towards the Strait of Pas-de-Calais.
If there is a trigger that ignites the powder, disaster strikes
Thierry Hernandez, pyrotechnics expert
“The Ruby is escorted by a tugboat which has been commissioned and contracted by the shipowner, which allows and ensures, in the event of necessary assistance, immediate intervention”specifies Lieutenant Etienne Baggio, spokesperson for the maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea.
Under what conditions can this cargo explode? “If there is a trigger that sets things on fire, such as a distress fireworks that is triggered, the start of a fire, a thermal runaway of a lithium battery, or even a cell phone, the disaster happens if all the elements are well separated from each other, there is no risk. explains pyrotechnics expert Thierry Hernandez, interviewed in the LCI extract at the top of this article.
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As the final destination of the “Ruby” could be Malta, local authorities have already clarified that it will not be allowed to dock as long as it is carrying ammonium nitrate. In 2020, this substance caused the explosion at the port of Beirut. 2750 tonnes were stored in the port, seven times less than what is contained in the “Ruby” Currently.
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