The fuel from the cargo ship, whose hull was split after the accident that occurred on August 29 in the Strait of Gibraltar in the south of Spain, began to spill into the sea.
The spilled fuel from the fuel and oil-laden ship “OS 35” created a major risk of marine and environmental pollution in Gibraltar and on the coasts of the Gulf of Algericas in southern Spain.
The Gibraltar autonomous administration announced that the leak from the two vents in the fuel tanks has been completely controlled, with the priority being to collect the fuel at sea and remove any remaining fuel on board.
It was announced that all operations in the Port of Gibraltar were halted and the focus was on the completely damaged ship due to the ship whose hull was split and risked to split into two completely.
The ship, loaded with 183 tons of heavy oil fuel, 250 tons of diesel fuel and 27 tons of lubricated oil, set off for Vlissingen Port in the Netherlands on the evening of 29 August and collided with a fuel carrier while maneuvering.
After the accident, the crew of 24 and 6 inspectors on board were safely evacuated.
As part of the first measures taken, in order to prevent the fuel and oil from spreading to the sea, the ship was surrounded by a net that can minimize leakage and has a collecting and absorbing feature.
After the incident, Spain, which has beaches very close to where the ship is located, was also alarmed. (AA)