Navy to dismantle sunken cargo ship on Thames holding unstable explosives

MoD reportedly warns of mass damage and potential loss of life' if ordnance on SS Richard Montgomery triggered

An operation to remove the masts from a sunken cargo ship in the River Thames, containing 1,400 tonnes of unstable explosives onboard, will involve Royal Navy specialists.

It is believed that if the unexploded ordnance on the SS Richard Montgomery were triggered it could lead to the nearby oil and gas facilities in Sheerness being damaged, the Daily Telegraph reports.

This story was amended on 30 December to clarify the SS Richard Montgomery was a cargo ship.