AT SEA: CONTROVERSIAL PICTURES SUGGEST PORTUGUESE NAVY SHIP EXPLODES WITH EXPIRED AMMUNITION ON BOARD WHILST BEING SCUTTLED

Record ID: 646225

  • Title: AT SEA: CONTROVERSIAL PICTURES SUGGEST PORTUGUESE NAVY SHIP EXPLODES WITH EXPIRED AMMUNITION ON BOARD WHILST BEING SCUTTLED
  • Date: 9th March 1995
  • Summary: AT SEA, OFF COAST OF PORTUGAL (RECENT) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV PORTUGUESE NAVY SUPPLY SHIP SAO MIGUEL RIDING AT ANCHOR 0.05 2. GV PANS PORTUGUESE NAVAL RECONNAISANCE AIRCRAFT FLIES OVER SHIP 0.09 3. LV NAVAL DEMOLITION EXPERTS APPROACH SAO MIGUEL 0.17 4. GV DEMOLITION TEAM INSTALL CHARGES ON SHIP 0.30 5. LV TEAM LEAVE SHIP IN DINGHIES 0.36 6. SV/GV OFFICERS WATCH OPERATION FROM UNIDENTIFIED SHIP (3 SHOTS) 0.49 7. LV SAO MIGUEL LISTING HEAVILY TO PORT 0.51 8. LV PANS PLANE FLIES OVERHEAD 0.58 9. GV SAO MIGUEL EXPLODES SHOWERING DEBRIS ON NEARBY SHIP 1.18 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 24th March 1995 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: AT SEA, 200 MILES (KM) OFF PORTUGAL
  • Country: AT SEA
  • Reuters ID: LVA3R92AZ5C8SXJEOT43G773DHEK
  • Story Text: Reuters has received controversial film footage showing the Portuguese navy supply ship Sao Miguel as it was being scuttled in deep water 200 miles west of Portugal on October 25 last year with 2,200 tonnes (tons) of expired munitions on board.

    The Portuguese Defence Ministry film was taken from the Portuguese frigate Sacadura Cabral, one of two navy vessels observing the operation.

    It shows a Portuguese frigate, the Vasco da Gama, at a distance of 500 metres (yards) from the Sao Miguel as a massive explosion takes place on board the ship being scuppered.

    A confidential Defence Ministry report on the incident by General Ernesto Rodrigues Gaspar da Rosa, dated February 21, 1995 was made available to Reuters.

    This states that contrary to original plans, not all the expired munitions on board the Sao Miguel were stowed inside the ship's hold. A total of 152 pallets of munitions were stowed on its deck. The boxes of ammunition that washed up on the Portuguese coast three months after the sinking of the Sao Miguel were from the deck cargo, it said.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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