Video: Fishing Vessel Capsizes at Pier

On Thursday, the derelict squid-fishing vessel Reyes del Mar 2 listed over and capsized at her berth at Puerto de Concepción del Uruguay, a small port on the Argentine side of the Uruguay River. 

On Thursday morning, the Reyes del Mar was seen listing towards the dock at the port's pier number seven. An effort by local authorities and volunteer first responders to combat flooding and right her was not successful, and in the afternoon, she settled lower and capsized, taking a portion of the dock with her. 

The local port authority had been aware of the environmental risk posed by the aging vessel for some time, and it had arranged for a contractor to remove most of her fuel and oily wastewater last year. As a precautionary measure, the Prefectura Naval laid out containment booms to prevent the spread of a spill. 

Local media report that the Reyes del Mar's original owner went bankrupt, and she was recently purchased at auction by a private individual. The port authority intends to ask the current owner to remove the vessel from the bottom.

The squid jigger suffered a shipboard fire several years ago, which may have weakened her structure. In addition, intense rains in recent weeks may have added to the water in her bilges. The head of the local fire department, Carlos Nosalevich, said that an investigation would determine the cause of the sinking.