| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Kowloon Bridge |
| Operator: | Helinger |
| Builder: | Swan Hunter, Haverton Hill |
| Completed: | 1973 |
| Out of service: | 22 November 1986, after hitting the Kedges Reef off Republic of Ireland. |
| Fate: | Sank 4 December 1986 after hitting the Kedges Reef. |
| Status: | Sunk. Final wreck position at () |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Bridge-class ore-bulk-oil carrier |
| Length: | 294.13 m (965.0 ft) |
| Beam: | 44.19 m (145.0 ft) |
| Draught: | 25.01 m (82.1 ft) |
| Crew: | 28 |
The Kowloon Bridge was a Bridge-class Ore-bulk-oil carrier which sank off the coast of West Cork in 1986 with her cargo of 165,000 tons of iron ore and 2,000 tons of oil. The resulting shipwreck is the largest wreck by tonnage in the world.
On 20 November 1986, she anchored in Bantry Bay, Republic of Ireland after developing deck cracking in one of her frames during her Atlantic crossing. After leaving port, she lost steerage and eventually ran onto the Kedges Reef off West Cork in the Republic of Ireland. Royal Air Force helicopters rescued the crew whilst tugs attempted, but failed to prevent her from running aground. The resulting fuel spilt out over the Irish coastline causing extensive damage to local wildlife.