Ship sunk in the Thames with tons of rockets could trigger a tsunami

(ORDO NEWS) — The British government intends to dismantle a shipwrecked in the Thames during the Second World War. It is known that there were about 1,500 tons of high-explosive substances on board. Many fear that the deadly cargo could explode at any moment and cause a powerful tsunami.

During World War II on August 20, 1944, the Richard Montgomery was carrying tons of weapons and explosives, and was subsequently wrecked 45 miles east of London.

Currently, half of the cargo has been recovered, but the remainder (1500 tons) of explosives remained on board. Moreover, all this is located 15 meters from the surface and dangerous proximity to residential buildings.

Experts warn that the cargo is very unstable, and if an explosion occurs, a powerful tsunami could lead to dire consequences. For 76 years, the port management has been monitoring the condition of the vessel around the clock and admits that it is deteriorating from year to year.

Most of all, pleasure boats are of concern, which regularly appear near this dangerous place. There was a case when some “brave man” climbed onto the rusty masts of the ship, and, balancing on them, took several photographs. These pictures were published on the web.

Another incident occurred during the 2012 Olympics, when a speedboat carrying people with explosives was intercepted very close to the sunken ship.

Some politicians have raised this topic in parliament more than once. They do not understand how the UK government can look at thousands of tons of explosives that are unstable and unprotected.

There were proposals to move the vessel, but it turned out to be expensive and also dangerous, and in order to start retrieving the cargo, it is necessary to evacuate thousands of people who live nearby.

Currently, the main concern is the ship’s rusted masts, which can collapse at any time, pierce the hull and provoke an explosion. In this regard, the government has announced a tender for works worth up to £ 4 million, hoping for a safer and cheaper way to solve the problem.

According to experts, the removal of the masts will allow the ship to naturally collapse along with its contents under water. Others fear that in the process of work something may go wrong and an explosion will occur. According to experts, if this happens, it will cause a wave 5 meters high. Serious damage will be done to all nearby buildings.

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