Aegean Sea Ship

The fire went out aboard the hulk of a Greek oil tanker at the northern port of La Coruna on Friday. But in the acrid aftermath two key questions nagged an angry, alarmed Spain: Why did the tanker Aegean Sea run aground? How badly is its spilled cargo fouling the sea in an area of rich marine and wildlife? The government blamed the tanker captain and the harbor pilot for the accident, while environmentalists braced for the worst.

Have you ever seen a cruel rainbow? Fireman Jose Faino saw one Saturday morning. He turned away from it with a shrug that became a sigh. "That's what you call irony, isn't it?" Faino asked. Or a cosmic joke. Through a sharp shower that exploded suddenly from a blue sky, the rainbow arched across a green headland framed by full-bodied Atlantic combers ending a long journey. The waves pounding the western edge of Europe here arrive with strength, beauty and threat.

Have you ever seen a cruel rainbow? Fireman Jose Faino saw one Saturday morning. He turned away from it with a shrug that became a sigh. "That's what you call irony, isn't it?" Faino asked. Or a cosmic joke. Through a sharp shower that exploded suddenly from a blue sky, the rainbow arched across a green headland framed by full-bodied Atlantic combers ending a long journey. The waves pounding the western edge of Europe here arrive with strength, beauty and threat.

The fire went out aboard the hulk of a Greek oil tanker at the northern port of La Coruna on Friday. But in the acrid aftermath two key questions nagged an angry, alarmed Spain: Why did the tanker Aegean Sea run aground? How badly is its spilled cargo fouling the sea in an area of rich marine and wildlife? The government blamed the tanker captain and the harbor pilot for the accident, while environmentalists braced for the worst.

A tanker crashed onto rocks outside a fog-shrouded harbor entrance Thursday, breaking apart in heavy seas and spilling millions of gallons of crude oil that threatened the area's rich fishing grounds. Hundreds of people fled their homes after an explosion tore the stern loose and set off an inferno only a few yards offshore five hours after the ship ran aground. All 29 crew members were rescued from the Greek ship, officials said.

A tanker crashed onto rocks outside a fog-shrouded harbor entrance Thursday, breaking apart in heavy seas and spilling millions of gallons of crude oil that threatened the area's rich fishing grounds. Hundreds of people fled their homes after an explosion tore the stern loose and set off an inferno only a few yards offshore five hours after the ship ran aground. All 29 crew members were rescued from the Greek ship, officials said.