Bangladesh rejects scrapping of 'SS Norway'
Environmental officials in Bangladesh won't allow the former luxury liner and cruiseship SS Norway to be scrapped at a local yard, for health reasons.
The former cruiseship SS Norway was once a trans-Atlantic liner.
Environmental minister Tariqul Islam was quoted Thursday as saying the vessel won't even be allowed to sail into a Bangladesh shipyard, much less be scrapped there, because of concerns over asbestos found on board.
The once-proud vessel, formerly the SS France, helped usher in the modern cruise era when it was bought by the Kloster family of Norway. The vessel was re-christened SS Norway and anchored the Kloster fleet for years until it finally was considered outdated.
Repairs required after a fire on board led to the vessel's languishing for years before it was finally sold to a scrap trader named Haji Lokman Hossain.
He told wire service AFP that he bought the vessel from an Indian investor for the equivalent of NOK 82 million (about USD 12 million).
He said he was "surprised and shocked" by the Bangladeshi ban against scrapping the vessel, claiming the country's scrapyards have accepted other vessels with asbestos.
Source Aftenposten
Topic: SS NORWAY/BLUE LADY/FRANCE (Read 2463 times)