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Cason

Name
Cason
Accident date
05/12/1987
Location
Spain
Accident area
Cape Finisterre, Galicia
Spill area
Inshore
Cause of spill
Grounding
Quantity transported
1 100 tonnes
Nature of pollutant
toxic, inflammable and corrosive chemicals
Quantity spilled
1 100 tonnes
Ship / structure type
Cargo vessel
Built date
1969
Length
137 m
Width
21 m
Flag
Panama

On 5 December 1987, the cargo boat the Cason, transporting 1,100 tonnes of chemicals, ran aground on the Spanish coast near Cape Finisterre. The cargo was composed of nearly 5,000 barrels, cans, containers and bags of flammable products (xylene, butanol, butyl acrylate, cyclohexanone, sodium), toxic products (anilin oil, diphenyl-methan, o-cresol, dibutyl phtalate) and corrosive products (phosphoric acid, phthalic anhydride).

The ship went on fire when the containers filled with sodium on the deck cargo came into contact with seawater. 23 out of the 31 crew members died during the fire.

 

 

Part of the cargo loaded on the deck was unloaded. But on night of 10 December, a series of explosions shook the vessel. The surrounding communities were panic-stricken and 15,000 people had to be evacuated within a radius of 5 km.

Last update on 08/02/2007

External links

Incident report available on the website Rempec

CIIMAR database:  fate and weathering of Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) involved

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