The 54,000-ton cargo ship Ever Decent was still ablaze in the English Channel last night after a collision with a luxury cruise liner carrying 1,700 passengers.
The Panamanian-registered vessel, carrying more than 3,000 containers, of which 40 contained hazardous cargoes, ignited after colliding with the Norwegian Dream at 1.15 a.m. yesterday in clear weather 18 miles off the Kent coast.
A massive rescue operation was launched, but despite the fierceness of the impact, only minor injuries were reported involving 21 passengers and eight crew members of the Bahamian-registered Norwegian Dream.
The 16-man crew of the Ever Decent joined the efforts to put out the fire on their vessel. Four huge containers fell on to the deck of the Norwegian Dream but on examination they were found to contain non-hazardous materials.
Despite having its bow stoved in, the luxury liner was able to make it to Dover where relieved passengers told of their initial fears of "another Titanic".
Before the collision the ship had been heading to Dover after a 13-day northern European cruise. Environmental experts continued to monitor the situation last night but fears of significant ecological damage were receding as investigations began into the collision.
The Marine and Coastguard Agency said its counter-pollution response team was dealing with the incident along with the Dover Coastguard and the Marine Emergency Operations Room.
The MCA said some 15 of the containers on the ship were on fire and that several of these contained paint and paint hardener which were producing noxious smoke.
However, it added: "The vessel is 15 miles offshore and is not posing a threat to the shoreline."
At least 15 other containers fell into the sea, presenting a danger to other shipping, and this prompted an immediate warning to vessels using the shipping lane, the busiest in the world.
Mr Pete Coombs, deputy chief officer of Kent Fire Brigade, said it could take 24 hours to bring the fire on Ever Decent under control. A water-borne assault was launched on the cargo ship after he decided it was not safe for fire-fighters to board the vessel. The cargo ship suffered serious damage to the ballast tanks on its port side during the collision. Mr Rod Johnson, commanding officer of Dover Coastguards, said: "When the tank was breached, water rushed in, forcing the ship to tilt sharply to one side."
At that point the ship's master took the vessel towards shallow water over a sand bank and was then able to use water ballast to bring it back to a near-upright position.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Mr John Prescott, paid tribute to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for its response to the collision, and pledged full co-operation with any investigations by the Bahamian and Panamanian authorities.
However, ahead of the result of the inquiry Mr Prescott appeared to resist calls from some trade union leaders for the equivalent of an air-traffic control system at sea.