Ship ruptures tank in New York
The U.S. Coast Guard said it is investigating a tanker that ruptured a tank Sunday morning while loading ethanol in New York harbor. There were no reports of pollution or injury from the accident.
The tanker vessel Sichem Defiance, a 443-foot Marshall Islands-flagged vessel owned by Eitsen Chemical, based in India, was loading 55,000 barrels of ethanol when one of the tanks was over-pressurized, causing the rupture and a one-meter section of the main deck to collapse. The tank was overfilled, which resulted in the rupture, according to Coast Guard marine inspectors.
The Coast Guard evacuated all vessels out of Gravesend Bay as a precautionary measure and a 1,000-yard safety zone was established around the ship.