Hydrogen Gas Linked to Ship Blast
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SAN FRANCISCO — A blast that wrecked an oil tanker last October, killing one man and causing an oil slick, may have been caused by an accidental accumulation of hydrogen gas, the Coast Guard reported Sunday.
The Coast Guard also said the crew of the Puerto Rican failed to follow correct safety procedures, and that it was revising safety requirements as a result of the accident.
The explosion ripped through the 632-foot vessel Oct. 31, a few hours after it left San Francisco Bay. About two days later, the ship broke up and its stern sank 25 miles off Half Moon Bay, 20 miles south of San Francisco.
Thousands of gallons of oil leaked from the wreckage, killing hundreds of seabirds on the coast.
The Coast Guard said experts were unable to establish with certainty what caused the explosion. “The gas could have been produced by its cargo of caustic soda leaking and reacting with . . . zinc coating,” the report said.
The report said a marine board of inquiry “concluded that the casualty was not caused by foul play or sabotage.”
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