The Diplomat
Spanish Maritime Rescue worked yesterday with the port authorities of Gibraltar to try to minimise the damage caused by the collision of the bulk carrier OS 35 with the LNG carrier Adam LG as it manoeuvred out of the port of the Rock.
According to the Gibraltar Government mid-afternoon yesterday, the Gibraltar Port Authority (GPA) currently had two tugs and three service vessels deployed at the scene, which were being assisted by Spanish Maritime Rescue and were ready to react to any incident.
He also indicated that the Port of Algeciras is working closely with the GPA and is also authorised to deploy resources, including a Spanish Maritime Rescue helicopter to carry out an aerial survey of the OS 35.
The collision between the two vessels caused the bulk carrier OS 35 to become stranded some 200 metres off Catalan Bay and set off environmental alarms due to the cargo of fuel oil inside it.
As the Gibraltar Government explained in a statement, the vessel, loaded with steel bars, was carrying 183 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, 250 tonnes of gas oil and 27 tonnes of lubricating oil at the time of the collision, as it was leaving Gibraltar for Vlissingen in the Netherlands.
A morning inspection by a team of specialised divers confirmed that the OS 35’s bow bulb was submerged 1.2 metres in the sandy seabed, the Gibraltar authorities said. They also noted that significant damage was observed on the starboard side of the vessel, including a breach in the centre of the hull, below the waterline, measuring approximately 10 metres by 4 metres.
