A 17,000-Tonne Oil Rig Ran Aground On A Beach

Image Cache: Stormy weather caused the Transocean Winner, a 17,000 tonne oil rig, to break free of the tug line that was pulling it out to sea. A few hours later, it ran aground on a Scottish beach.

Image: Ann Marie Macdonald

Browse through the cool photos, animations and diagrams in Gizmodo’s Image Cache here.

Fortunately, the tug boat had been hauling the Transocean Winner to a scrapyard, so the rig was empty when it hit the coastline. Still, 280 of those 17,000 tonnes are pure diesel — and that fact has Scotland’s coastguard warning people to steer clear of Dalmore beach until the rig can be cleared.

The rig is so huge that even from a distance, it was pretty unmissable. Here are some of the best shots local photographers were able to snag.