From Iceland — Sunken Ship Risen From The Depths

Sunken Ship Risen From The Depths

Published November 17, 2015

Andie Sophia Fontaine
Photo by
Paul Fontaine

The ship which sank in Reykjavík harbour just two weeks ago has been surfaced, although it is still unknown what caused it to sink in the first place.

RÚV reports that some 700 tonnes of sea water have been pumped out of the ship, Perla, which is now in dry dock awaiting repairs and assessment. Harbour Master Gísli Gíslason told reporters that the cause of Perla sinking in the first place has not been established.

As reported, Perla, which has done extensive work around the Westman Islands to clean the harbour there, was launched on the morning of November 2 after a week in dry dock. RÚV reported that a leak on board was reported to firefighters at 10:42 that morning.

The stern began to sink quickly, but firefighters and the engineer were able to get the crew to shore without any injuries. The ship completely sank in less than half an hour.

It was believed that the ship sank because someone had forgotten to close the hull shutters before it was launched, although that theory has since been determined to be questionable.

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