MS Berge Istra
Encyclopedia
The MS Berge Istra was a ship owned by Norwegian
shipping
company Sig. Bergesen d.y.
and registered in Liberia
, an ore-bulk-oil carrier
with . The ship had build number 296 at the Uljanik
shipyard in the port city Pula
in Croatia
where it was built in 1972.
The ship was on route from Tubarão
in Brazil
to Japan
with iron ore when contact was lost with the vessel in the Pacific
(near the island Mindanao
, Philippines
) on December 30, 1975. After one week, on January 7, 1976, the ship was reported missing, but the ensuing search operation yielded no results and was called off on January 10 of that year. 30 people lost their lives. There were two survivors, Spanish
citizens Imeldo Barreto León (41) and Epifanio López (39), who were picked up from a raft
on January 20, 1976 by Japanese fishermen.
To this day, 30 years later, the shipping company maintains secrecy with regards to the cause of the accident. The most prominent theory holds that the cause could have been explosions caused by oil residue in the cargo compartments that were filled with iron ore. MS Berge Istra was, like its sister ship MS Berge Vanga
which disappeared under similar circumstances four years later, a ship which could transport both oil and iron ore. After these two disappearances no more combination ships like this were built, and oil was never again transported alongside ore.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
shipping
Shipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
company Sig. Bergesen d.y.
Bergesen d.y. ASA
Bergesen d.y. 'ASA was a Norwegian shipping company, and one of the world's largest.The company was founded by Sigval Bergesen d.y. . He was the son of Sigval Bergesen, who was also a shipping magnate, but in 1935 he broke with his father to form his own company...
and registered in Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, an ore-bulk-oil carrier
Ore-bulk-oil carrier
An Ore-bulk-oil carrier, also known as combination carrier or OBO, is a ship designed to be capable of carrying wet or dry cargoes. The idea is to reduce the number of empty voyages, in which large ships only carry a cargo one way and return empty for another. These are a feature of the larger...
with . The ship had build number 296 at the Uljanik
Uljanik
Uljanik is a shipbuilding company and shipyard located in Pula, Croatia.It was named after an islet on which there used to grow olive trees but then they were all cut down to make room for steel and hull fabrication workshops.- See also :* Shipyards:...
shipyard in the port city Pula
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
where it was built in 1972.
The ship was on route from Tubarão
Tubarão
Tubarão is a Brazilian city located in southern part of Santa Catarina state. It coordinates are 28º28'00" S and 49º00'25"W. The population, according to the IBGE/2010 Brazilian Census was 97,281...
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
with iron ore when contact was lost with the vessel in the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
(near the island Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
) on December 30, 1975. After one week, on January 7, 1976, the ship was reported missing, but the ensuing search operation yielded no results and was called off on January 10 of that year. 30 people lost their lives. There were two survivors, Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
citizens Imeldo Barreto León (41) and Epifanio López (39), who were picked up from a raft
Raft
A raft is any flat structure for support or transportation over water. It is the most basic of boat design, characterized by the absence of a hull...
on January 20, 1976 by Japanese fishermen.
To this day, 30 years later, the shipping company maintains secrecy with regards to the cause of the accident. The most prominent theory holds that the cause could have been explosions caused by oil residue in the cargo compartments that were filled with iron ore. MS Berge Istra was, like its sister ship MS Berge Vanga
MS Berge Vanga
The MS Berge Vanga was an ore-bulk-oil carrier with . The ship was owned by Norwegian shipping company Sig. Bergesen d.y. and registered in Liberia...
which disappeared under similar circumstances four years later, a ship which could transport both oil and iron ore. After these two disappearances no more combination ships like this were built, and oil was never again transported alongside ore.