Recounting a thick fog that caused a ship carrying 2,862 luxury cars to sink

Randi MannDigital Reporter
Published on Dec. 14, 2020, 11:03 AM
Updated on Dec. 14, 2021, 4:39 AM

On December 14, 2002, the MV Tricolor collided with Kariba. The MV Tricolor and $50 million worth of cars did not make it.

This Day In Weather History is a daily podcast by Chris Mei from The Weather Network, featuring stories about people, communities and events and how weather impacted them.

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The incident didn't lead to any deaths, but it cost many millions in sunk costs.

On December 14, 2002, the MV Tricolor was travelling from Zeebrugge, Belgium to Southampton, U.K.

The MV Tricolor was a 50,000-tonne Norwegian-flagged vehicle carrier ship built in 1987.

norwegian tricolor - in tact

Courtesy: C Lous

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In an exclusive economic zone in the English Channel, 17 nautical miles north of the French coast, MV Tricolor collided with a 1982 Bahamian-flagged container ship, named Kariba. Kariba continued on her route, the MV Tricolor did not.

Norwegian - not in tact

Courtesy: Premar-manche

MV Tricolor was carrying 2,862 cars, including BMWs, Volvos, and Saabs, worth $40 million to $50 million.

Though no one died, the water version of a snowball effect occurred. Because the ship sunk in a somewhat shallow area, other boats kept on running into the underwater shipwreck.

The authorities tried to warn nearing ships of the sunk ship's location, but too many boats kept running into the wreck.

In July 2003, a team started to remove the MV Tricolor and all of its contents. The operation took over a year and was completed in October 2004.

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To hear more about the unbelievable details of this event, listen to today's episode of "This Day In Weather History."

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Thumbnail courtesy: gawkerassets