Oil Tankers Collide near Tobago
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events from History II: Ecology and the Environment Series
- Categories: Environmental Issues, Disasters
- Subcategories: Ships, Naval History, Energy, Fuel, Power Sources, Ecology, Environment, Conservation
- Curriculum: Latin American History
- Geographical Location: West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago
- Date: July 19, 1979
Article abstract: Two oil tankers collided in a rain squall off the island of Tobago in the Caribbean Sea and spilled 370,000 tons of oil, the largest oil spill up to that time.
Summary of Event
Powerful thunderstorms known as rain squalls are common in the Caribbean Sea, especially in the summer. At about 7 p.m. on July 19, 1979, some ten miles off the island of Tobago, two Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) entered a squall from opposite directions. Visibility was very limited because of the storm, and radar was not effective in the squall. As a result,...
[The entire page is 2373 words long]
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