TIMEBOMB IN THE THAMES

Expert fears sunk ship blast could cause fireball tsunami

-  HEATHER MAIN

Imagine a roaring fireball being swept on a tsunami through the Thames Estuary towards London.

It sounds like the plot for a disaster movie, but an expert in emergency planning warns that a sunken warship could make it a reality.

To the untrained eye, the rusting metal masts of the SS Richard Montgomery two miles off the coast of Kent are an intriguing reminder of the Second World War.

But the US vessel is packed with more than 1,400 tonnes of explosives, which could detonate at any second.

Governments have spent the 80 years since it sank debating whether to remove the wreck or leave it be.

David Alexander, Professor of Emergency Planning at UCL, says it should be dismantled immediately as it could trigger a "fireball tsunami".

"One of the biggest dangers is that we don't really know exactly what is on board," says Prof Alexander.

"It's too dangerous for divers to go and explore and we don't know exactly what types of bombs are on board or their current condition.

"We know that the condition of the wreck is worsening with each passing year, and when it eventually collapses, the results could be catastrophic.