UK: Report reveals how flagship limped into New York after pipe burst
The Cunard flagship the QE2 was faced with a mid-ocean flooding disaster after a crucial pipe burst during a storm, according to an official report.
The report, published this week, refers to an incident last May that could have had “serious consequences”. Crew had to pump out some 1,600 cubic metres of water from the engine room, with two engines having to be shut down for some 24 hours.
Eventually the ship made it to New York but the report states that the QE2 could have been left “disabled and drifting in poor weather conditions with a major compartment flooded”.
The ship’s owner Cunard has vowed to carry out a detailed inspection of the QE2 – and is promising to “properly consider” warnings from engineers after it was revealed that workers had stated their concerns over the state of the pipe.
As reported by News From Abroad, the QE2 is in its final year crossing the Atlantic; it will soon be replaced by the Queen Mary 2, feted as the biggest and most expensive passenger ship ever built.
