Fire at Antarctic Base kills two, plus sunken diesel cover-up

[Paul Ward]

A fire at the Brazilian Base Comandante Ferraz on King George Island has killed two servicemen, forty others have been evacuated.

It has also just come to light that a cargo barge with up to 10,000 litres of diesel sank in 40m of water at the same location two months ago in December. It seems that the story was supressed while attempts were being made to recover the barge and cargo. The two incidents are not said to be connected, but then nothing is really being about the incidents at all by the authorities involved.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/0...81O0OR20120225

Military personnel and a base in an environmentally fragile area has never struck me as being the best combination for responsible or honest stewardship. At least there are other bases in the area to help the evacuation and monitor the situation.

[Paul Ward]

Seems that the tanker has been refloated without any spillage:

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?Arti...tegoryId=14090