Tanker ablaze in Baltic

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32542, 27 February 1971, Page 17

Tanker ablaze in Baltic

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) KIEL, February 26. Sixteen men escaped with minor injuries early today when a West German tanker burst into flames after a collision with an East German ore-carrier off Kiel, on the Baltic coast of West Germany.

First reports said that at least 11 of the 37 crew of the 13,193-ton tanker Bomin were missing. But a harbour pilot said that everyone had been accounted for, although some of the 16 injured were thrown overboard by the impact. Damage to the East German ship, the Aue (15,691 tons), was not immediately known. Both ships were aground outside the harbour; the abandoned tanker still ablaze just before dawn. The tanker, loaded with crude oil, was on its way to the Kiel canal at the time of the collision. The pilot, who was on board the Bomin at the time of the collision, said that noone was seriously injured; it was not known if there were any casualties aboard the Aue. RESUCE IN AUSTRALIA All 24 crew of the Nor-

wegian ' freighter, Slidre Timur (1074 tons), were rescued from heavy seas off the Queensland coast today after abandoning ship, it was reported from Brisbane today. The ship struck Parker Reef, 40 miles east of Townsville, early today and the men radioed for help before taking to their liferafts. Another Norwegian freighter, the Thorsorient, answered the call, and picked the men up about noon—about seven hours after they left the ship. The crew of the Royal Australian Air Force Neptune bomber, who spotted the men a few hours earlier after answering the distress call, saw the rescue completed successfully. Visibility in the area was down to about three miles, with heavy rain falling intermittently, and rough seas.