Tanker collision

A CHEMICAL tanker carrying thousands of tons of a gasoline product was being towed toward France’s northwestern coast yesterday after it collided with another ship, the boat’s manager and maritime officials said.

There was no visible pollution in the water surrounding the 120-meter ship, which was built in 2008 and was sailing under a Maltese flag, said the Atlantic maritime prefecture in the French city of Brest.

The 13 crew members of the YM Uranus were unharmed and were evacuated by helicopter to a nearby air base.

The boat took on some water, but the inflow had stopped, and the cargo tanks – carrying a specialist gasoline product called heavy pygas – were not breached, international ship manager V Ships said, confirming that there had been no pollution of the waters.

“I think the danger is behind us now,” said V Ships spokesman Patrick Adamson.