The Diplomat
The Government of Gibraltar announced yesterday that the wreck of the ‘OS 35’, the cargo ship that had been stranded in the waters of the Strait, west of the Rock, since 30 August 2022, was successfully removed from the water on Monday.
The Gibraltar Maritime Authority confirmed that the two sections of the wreck in which the ship had broken up are now on board the semi-submersible vessel ‘Fjord’. It also indicated that inspections of the seabed have begun to ensure that the wreck site of the OS 35 is completely clear, and that once these have been completed, the operation will be terminated.
“As anticipated,” a note from the Gibraltar authorities states, the removal of the two sections completely out of the water “has resulted in the spillage of debris, including heavy oil on the protective boom that was deployed around the vessel”.
They go on to say that “work is underway to clean up this debris within the area enclosed by the boom and the slick that has exceeded its perimeter is also being addressed”.
The “Fjord” is expected to remain in Gibraltarian waters for a couple of weeks while the hull sections are fixed and “lashed” in preparation for the voyage to the final dismantling site in the Netherlands.
The fact that the hull sections are now completely out of the water “means that there is no longer any danger of further debris being dumped from the wreck, after what has already been dumped has been removed,” according to the note.
