some questions

[760831]

Hi, I have some questions about the following news:
Police powerless on beach looting - CNN.com
I don't understand this part:"They have quadrupled our task," he said. "People are lighting fires beside the containers, getting on top of them ripping stuff out, and not heeding our warnings.

"The MCA is deeply upset and angry because all the stuff which has been ripped out of the containers will be swept out to sea and have an environmental impact."

The Napoli is listing at between 18 and 25 degrees. About 200 tons of oil have leaked, but the MCA said this did not pose a major environmental threat.

Question1:Why do people light fires?
Question2:Why"all the stuff which has been ripped out of the containers will be swept out to sea and have an environmental impact"? Since the news has already said previously that people rip the stuff out of the containers to sell it on the Internet, why does the reporter say the stuff will be swept out to sea and have an impact on the environment? I think it is the fuel oil that will damage the environment, and the fuel oil is inside the tanks, not the containers, isn't it?
Question3:What does "The Napoli is listing at between 18 and 25 degrees." mean?

[2utopian]

Hi, I have some questions about the following news:
Police powerless on beach looting - CNN.com
I don't understand this part:"They have quadrupled our task," he said. "People are lighting fires beside the containers, getting on top of them ripping stuff out, and not heeding our warnings.

"The MCA is deeply upset and angry because all the stuff which has been ripped out of the containers will be swept out to sea and have an environmental impact."

The Napoli is listing at between 18 and 25 degrees. About 200 tons of oil have leaked, but the MCA said this did not pose a major environmental threat.

Question1:Why do people light fires? People are lighting fires because it it a riot-like atmosphere. Fires often occur with looting.
Question2:Why"all the stuff which has been ripped out of the containers will be swept out to sea and have an environmental impact"? Since the news has already said previously that people rip the stuff out of the containers to sell it on the Internet, why does the reporter say the stuff will be swept out to sea and have an impact on the environment? I think it is the fuel oil that will damage the environment, and the fuel oil is inside the tanks, not the containers, isn't it? The fuel will have some impact on the environment. Some of the things inside the containers that are not picked up will float out to sea causing environmental damage
Question3:What does "The Napoli is listing at between 18 and 25 degrees." mean?

Ships that are sinking begin to list, which means to lean to one side. The ship is normally 90 degrees vertical. As it leans to one side or the other it lists away from 90 (straight up and down). If a ship listed 90 degrees it would be on its side. If it listed 180 degrees it would be upside down.

[Anglika]

They have quadrupled our task," he said. "People are lighting fires beside the containers, getting on top of them ripping stuff out, and not heeding our warnings.

"The MCA is deeply upset and angry because all the stuff which has been ripped out of the containers will be swept out to sea and have an environmental impact."

People have been lighting fires to keep warm (it's bitterly cold here); and there is a mass of different things in the containers, some of which are known to be toxic. People are breaking open the containers, scattering the contents. The tide will come in and sweep the contents out to sea. Quiet apart from the oil, there is a lot of dangerous stuff there.