1.
Ferry ship "Tina Scarlett" grounded, burning


2.
CU Stern of "Tina Scarlett"


3.
"Tina Scarlett" amidship with fire-fighting boat alongside


4.
GV River Rhine, burning vessels


5.
Blazing petrol tanker "Diamant"


6.
River police, fire-fighting boats


7.
Police, fire boats with tanker in flames behind them


8.
Fireboats with"Tina Scarlett" behind them


9.
"Tina Scarlett"


10.
CU..Flaming tanker


11.
Bows of tanker with ferry ship in BG


12.
CU..Ferry ship


13.
Ferry ship with petrol blazing on water in FG


14.
Ferry ship, fire damage


15.
Tanker still blazing


16.
Tanker with midship portion under water (2 shots)


17.
Boat


18.
Fireboats fighting tanker fire


19.
GV..Scene of disaster


20.
AIR SHOTS ..Burning tanker


21.
Ferry ship


22.
GV..Scene of disaster




Initials JRG/V/WS/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: When a newly-built 1600-ton ferry ship under tow broke adrift from her tug and was in collision with a petrol tanker on the River Rhine near the West German town of Emmerich, close to the Dutch frontier, Oct 7, both ships caught fire and flaming petrol spreading rapidly over the surface of the river set six other vessels ablaze, two of which sank.

Two people, a man and a woman, were known to have died; an unknown number - possibly three- were missing; and 14 were taken to hospital, two of them dangerously ill.

The ferry ship was the "Tina Scarlett", built in Cologne for service in Denmark. She was being towed by the Dutch tug "Martin" when the tow broke. Drifting with the river current she was in collision with the Belgian petrol tanker "Diamant" whose steersman had the presence of mind to open the tank valve, thus probably preventing disastrous explosions. Some 40 people, Danes and Germans, were aboard the ferry ship.

The missing persons were the crew of one of the two vessels which sank after catching fire -- a Dutch vessel named the "Farewell".

Maritime authorities said the disaster was the worst since the holocaust on the Rhine River of World War Two.