WW II sub oil leak threatens marine life

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SR
October 19, 2007

The wreck of a Second World War submarine, one of many littering the seabed around the Swedish coast, has been found to be leaking oil, posing a threat to marine life.

According to the Swedish coast guard, the submarine is a German U-boat which was hit towards the end of the war, and is one of 249 wrecks off the west coast of Sweden.

Authorities were alerted by a local man fishing in the area who spotted oil on the water.

The coast guard says the wreck lies at a depth of 65 metres, and that the vessel had 113 tonnes of diesel oil on board when she sank.

The submarine also contains unknown quantities of lead in large battery units.

An operation to extract the oil and lead is however unlikely, due to unexploded torpedoes on board.

The wreck is just one of the many submarines and ships lying in Swedish waters, and experts fear the high salt content in the area will ultimately erode many of the hulls resulting in severe environmental damage.

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