Can it happen that the equipment or weapon prepared for destruction in war becomes a threat to the country that made it decades later? Yes, this is happening. A special ship was prepared in the Second World War, but today it is about to sink at its place. The worrying thing is that there is so much ammunition in it that if it explodes, a tsunami will come in the river and a scene of destruction will be seen.
A new survey of the Doomsday Wreck has revealed it is collapsing. The World War II wreck, loaded with 1,400 tonnes of explosives, is threatening to trigger a tsunami in Britain’s River Thames. In August 1944, the SS Richard Montgomery sank in the Thames estuary, coming to rest at a depth of about 49 feet, about a mile and a half from Sheerness, Kent.
Currently, its masts are still above the waterline and plans are being made to remove them so they don’t fall on the wreck and explode. But now a new survey of the ship has revealed “worrying” signs of ship parts breaking or disintegrating in the year since the last survey.
The ship was in such a place that its explosion could cause a tsunami to reach London. (Symbolic picture: Wikimedia Commons)
The new report warns that “deck space near hold three has begun to collapse on the port side. This appears to have occurred recently”. The survey also found that “it appears the forward portion of the wreck is separating in two”. In a statement, the Department of Transport said its priority was “ensuring the safety of the public and mitigating any risks posed to the SS Richard Montgomery”.
The SS Richard Montgomery was an American ship carrying ammunition for the Allies in World War II. When the tide receded it ran aground on a sand dune and broke its back, sinking before all its cargo could be recovered. It is feared that it still has enough explosive power to cause tidal waves in the Thames, earning it the nickname “Doomsday Ship”.
Tags: Amazing news, Bizarre news, OMG News, Weird news
FIRST PUBLISHED : July 27, 2024, 11:39 IST