World Notes: Jul. 22, 1985

NEW ZEALAND

Sabotage Sinks a Protest Ship

"We don't know what happened," said Peter Willcox, skipper of the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior. "There were some loud bangs, the boat shook and we sank within four minutes." The 130-ft. converted trawler was berthed in Auckland, New Zealand, last week, preparing to lead a protest of French nuclear tests at Mururoa Atoll, 700 miles southeast of Tahiti. Two explosions ripped a 6-ft. by 8-ft. hole in the hull, scuttling the vessel stern first in 24 ft. of water and killing Ship Photographer Fernando Pereira. The twelve other people reportedly on board escaped unharmed.

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