Panama flagged ship adrift in Bay of Biscay

A  PANAMANIAN registered merchant ship   is adrift in the Bay of Biscay,  about 300 km off the French coast.

The  crew of the “Modern Express”, carrying a cargo of lumber and construction machinery, was evacuated by helicopter on  Tuesday. January 26 . The cargo ship is drifting with a strong list but apparently no water has entered.

On Friday a  team of specialists from the Dutch company Smit Salvage, boarded in a dangerous operation to establish a “pass line” between the freighter and a tugboat. The line  broke  under the effect of the movement of both vessels caused by bad weather.

On Saturday and Sunday the weather was “degrading”, and  the conditions for a new attempt are not favorable, French maritime  officials said.

The “Modern Express” sent out a call for help on Tuesday afternoon after heeling, for reasons as yet undetermined, 270 km northwest of Spain.  Its 22 crew were evacuated by Spanish helicopters in “very difficult” conditions.