Brazil will sink an old aircraft carrier with toxic materials in the Atlantic

The Government of Brazil has announced that it will sink the aircraft carrier “Sao Paulo” in the Atlantic, which wander aimlessly for five months, since no port accepts it due to the toxic materials that are in its hull.

The “Sao Paulo”, which in the past served the French Navy under the name “Foch”, It will be sunk in Brazilian territorial waters, some 350 kilometers from the coast, at a point in the Atlantic with a depth of 5,000 meters, far from environmental protection zones.

The Brazilian Navy has stated in a statement that it had no alternative to torpedo the aircraft carrierbecause it is “inevitable” that it sinks spontaneously since the hull is damaged and has buoyancy problems.

Likewise, the Navy has explained that the company responsible for the ship did not take the necessary measures to obtain authorization to tow it to port, with the aim of repair the serious damage that threaten their ability to stay afloat.

The statement was released one day after the Prosecutor’s Office requested the Justice to prevent the sinking of the ship, due to the dangers posed to the environment and public health by the 10 tons of asbestos present in the helmet.

The journey of the former French warship began in August, when was sold to a Turkish shipyard specialized in the scrapping of boats for two million dollars. But she never reached her destination because the Turkish authorities prohibited her entry, so she had to turn around shortly before reaching the Strait of Gibraltar.

Since then, the Sao Paulo, the second and last aircraft carrier in the Brazilian Navy fleet, has been roaming the Atlantic, due to the refusal of the ports, including the Brazilian ones, to receive it. Built in France in 1963, the aircraft carrier is 266 meters long, has the capacity to house 1,300 crew members and transport 30 fighter-bombers.

The ship served France under the name “Foch” for 37 years, during which time it was used in the Lebanese civil war, the Gulf War and other conflicts in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

The Brazilian Navy bought it in 2001 for 12 million dollars, but with the Brazilian flag, the aircraft carrier he spent more time in port than at sea. Due to various technical problems and some accidents, including a fire with victims, it only sailed 85,334 kilometers during 206 days of operation in fifteen years.