French authorities are struggling to prevent an environmenal catastrophe off the Atlantic coast. The freighter Modern Express has 300 tons of fuel on board, reportts Deutsche Welle.
The Panama-flagged vehicle carrier, which is listing at almost 90 degrees, is expected to hit the coast of western France between late Monday and late Tuesday.
The freighter has been adrift since Tuesday. All 22 crew members were airlifted to safety by Spanish helicopters shortly after.
A spokesperson for Dutch company, Smit Salvage, said the attempt to prevent the ship from grounding will be no easy feat, with high winds and six-metre (20-foot) waves preventing any rescue attempts at the weekend.
"The problem is a combination of several things: the wind, the swell and angle the ship is listing at, which is like climbing a mountain that moves," the spokesperson said.
Maritime prefect Emmanuel De Oliveira told a press conference on Sunday that the operations "complex and dangerous."