Case 1 Massive pollution feared as oil spill tanker Prestige sinks off spain Nature of incident The tanker PRESTIGE(81, 564 DWT)suffered hull damage during the afternoon of wednesday 1 3th november in heavy seas off northern Spain and developed a severe list. She was carrying a cargo of some 77000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, a quantity of which was lost at the time of the initial damage and more was lost subsequently. The casualty was taken in tow and moved away from the coast. By the morning of Tuesday 19th November she had reached a position some 170 miles west of Vigo. Although attempts were made by the salvors to minimise the stresses on the vessel. she broke in two early on the 1 9th and the two sections sank some hours later in water some two miles deep. At the time of the sinking it was reported that substantial further quantity of oil was releasedCase 1 Massive pollution feared as oil spill tanker Prestige sinks off Spain • Nature of incident The tanker PRESTIGE (81,564 DWT) suffered hull damage during the afternoon of Wednesday 13th November in heavy seas off northern Spain and developed a severe list. She was carrying a cargo of some 77,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, a quantity of which was lost at the time of the initial damage and more was lost subsequently. The casualty was taken in tow and moved away from the coast. By the morning of Tuesday 19th November she had reached a position some 170 miles west of Vigo. Although attempts were made by the salvors to minimise the stresses on the vessel, she broke in two early on the 19th and the two sections sank some hours later in water some two miles deep. At the time of the sinking it was reported that a substantial further quantity of oil was released