On 1/16/1998 , the vessel FLARE (Official Number 708220) was involved in a sank - flooding in 40 M. SW ST. PIERRE & MIQUELON, CABOT STRAIT,.

The vessel, with 0 persons on board, experienced the incident while engaged in regular operations. Fortunately, the ship was able to continue its voyage. No injuries or fatalities were reported, and there was minor pollution.

This incident was officially recorded by Transport Canada on 1/19/1998 . Weather at the time was reported as clear with winds from the WNW at 45.00 knots.

On 16 January 1998, en route from Rotterdam, Netherlands, to Montreal, Quebec, in severe weather conditions, the "FLARE" was approximately 45 miles southwest of the islands of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. The vessel broke in two and the stern section sank within 30 minutes. Thebow section sank four days later off Nova Scotia, on the western side of Banquereau Bank. Twenty-one of the crew perished and four survived. There was widespread, non-recoverable, fuel oil pollution from the sunken stern section.

Section 3 of this report contains the Board's findings as to causes and contributing factors and other findings. The Board has also identified safety deficiencies related to the accessibility and stowage of the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, the carriage of immersion suits on vessels operating in waters where hypothermia can reduce the survival time of persons in the water, the effect of high frequency stresses in structural failure associated with inadequate ballasting and the need for stricter adherence to approved loading manuals. Section 4 lists the relevant safety action taken by the marine industry, Transport Canada and the TSB. The Board has issued five safety recommendations to address the identified safety deficiencies