"Tsunami" in Gironde: the liner went too fast

Le Figaro Bordeaux

The mayor of Saint Louis-de-Montferrand and Louise Vileo, who saw her house devastated after the passage of a liner last Saturday, had been right. "The only element to explain the occurrence of the wave of submersion is the excessive speed of the ship," decrypts the Grand Port Maritime de Bordeaux in a preliminary investigation report. Published Tuesday, the document specifies that the usual factors favoring this type of incident must be excluded. Neither wind nor tidal reversal or unusual current were measured. On the other hand, the tide was very strong and surged, which means that it was above conventional thresholds. These initial conclusions therefore point to the responsibility of the vessel because of "the error of assessment of the speed to be adopted at this point of the navigation channel".

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By sailing too fast "at this precise place of the Garonne", the cruise embarkation, called Seven Seas Splendor, has therefore caused a disaster. Two kilometers of adjoining roads and especially Louise Vileo's home were devastated by the "tsunami" generated in her wake. At 20:30 p.m. that evening, a flood of water of 80 centimeters had swept towards the bay window of the nearest house, destroying the terrace and rushing into the cellar. "Particular vigilance will be provided by the port services during the next stopovers," promises the Grand Port Maritime de Bordeaux so that such an event does not happen again.