The ABT tanker ship oil spill occurred in the most unusual of manners. An unexplained detonation rocked the ship, causing it to go up in flames during the forenoon of 28th May 1991 around 1,300 kilometres from the Angolan seacoast. Though ships to speed the process of rescuing the 32 crew members were deployed by noontime, the exigency situation within the tanker was substantially enhanced. Of the crew personnel, at the time of rescuing operations, one person was declared dead, four personnel were declared to be missing who were later pronounced dead.