Cutty Sark gutted by fire

Bad news from Greenwich:

A blaze on board the famous 19th Century ship Cutty Sark may have been started deliberately, police believe.

The ship, which was undergoing a £25m restoration, is kept in a dry dock at Greenwich in south-east London.

An area around the 138-year-old tea clipper had to be evacuated when the fire broke out in the early hours.

A Cutty Sark Trust spokesman said 50% of the ship was removed for restoration work. He said the trust was devastated but it could have been worse.

The decks of the ship are said to be unsalvageable. But much of the boat, including the masts, had already been taken away as part of the restoration project.

More in the NY Times here. The Cutty Sark website is here, but no news posted there as yet.

Posted by David on May 21, 2007 9:19 AM