Warning SS Richard Montgomery wreck may explode

A ‘Doomsday wreck’ filled with sufficient explosives to unleash a tidal wave within the Thames is deteriorating quicker than feared and a part of it have to be eliminated urgently.

The SS Richard Montgomery sank within the Thames Estuary in August 1944, coming to relaxation at a depth of 49ft with 1,400 tons of explosives nonetheless in her maintain.

Her three masts nonetheless loom above the floor and plans have been made to take away them over fears that they might collapse on to the deck and set off a blast.

But now motion have to be introduced ahead after a brand new evaluation found corrosion on the masts is worse than anticipated.

Southend Labour councillor Lydia Hyde, who’s aware of the newest findings, mentioned issues have reached some extent the place it is safer to behave than to do nothing.

A Ministry of Defence report in 2021 mentioned that an explosion may trigger a 15ft-high tsunami and trigger ‘mass harm and lack of life’. 

She mentioned: ‘There was an evaluation in the summertime, after which there was a extra detailed one in November to principally go and have a look at the situation of the masts.

‘The concern is that corrosion means they catastrophically fail, their structural integrity goes, the mast falls down after which lands on the wreck, after which that might set off an explosion.

‘Following the dive, they’ve assessed it and so they’ve gone “Actually, no, we need to bring this forward because the corrosion was more than expected”.

‘So they have to be taken down.’

The SS Richard Montgomery was an American vessel carrying munitions for the allies within the Second World War.

It’s feared she nonetheless holds sufficient explosive energy to unleash a tidal wave within the Thames, incomes her the nickname the ‘Doomsday wreck’.

Estimates fluctuate as to the potential top of such a wave – some say 16ft, some simply 3ft whereas others imagine there could be no wave in any respect.

But Ms Hyde believes the affect could be actual sufficient in Southend, greater than 5 miles away.

She mentioned: ‘If that blast was to go off then we’re speaking in regards to the home windows blowing out on the seafront.

‘I do not know what the chance to life is at that distance – it may be fairly small immediately from it.

‘But if it is sufficient to blast out your home windows, knock individuals over, and knock individuals into issues, then issues may fall on them, so it might be fairly harmful for pedestrians.’

She estimated it could be ‘extra extreme’ on the Isle of Sheppey – the wreck is lower than two miles from Sheerness, the island’s second-largest city.

Plans to take away the masts had been first made in 2020.

At the time, the accountable ministry – the Department for Transport – mentioned the masts might be ‘putting undue pressure on the remainder of the vessel’.

But the work has been delayed for years and the masts nonetheless stand.

Hyde mentioned they had been now slated for removing in March.

She mentioned: ‘It’s clearly been there for numerous a long time now, however over time the steel goes to rust.

‘Even although it has been high quality up till now, over time it’s degrading and it is simply tipped by way of that threshold now the place the protected factor to do is take away the masts.

‘There’s important planning and experience that is going into this so we do not anticipate there to be a catastrophic incident.’

A Department for Transport spokesman mentioned: ‘Our precedence will at all times be to make sure the protection of the general public and cut back any danger posed by the SS Richard Montgomery.

‘We commissioned specialists to hold out important surveying work to the wreckage.

‘Based on their findings, we are actually reviewing and updating our plans to take away the ship’s masts as quickly as safely as potential.’