Oil leaks from bulk carrier off Gibraltar after collision: All you need to know
On Wednesday, the 24-person crew of the ship was evacuated. According to the government, it was not possible to remove the oil from the ship because the two pieces of the ship are not yet separated from each other. Authorities now fear oil pollution and its impact on adjacent coastlines.
FollowAuthorities in the British overseas territory on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula on Wednesday said a bulk carrier that collided with an LNG tanker off Gibraltar started leaking fuel oil.
The collision that took place on Tuesday forced the closure of the Gibraltar port for four hours. It was later fully reopened. The hull of the bulk carrier OS 35 broke, authorities said, but the vessel has not separated into two parts.
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In a statement, the Gibraltar government said, "There has been a substance leak from the vessel as a result of the movement arising from its break. Initial investigations indicate that this is lube oil."
"Current evidence suggests the fuel on board is well contained and it is hoped that offloading can begin tomorrow."
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The collision between the two vessels took place as the vessel OS 35, loaded with steel bars and carrying over 400 tonnes of fuel, was moving to exit the bay. The Marshall Islands-flagged ADAM LNG arrived in Gibraltar after unloading in Malta. It remains at anchor near the place where the collision took place.
On Wednesday, the 24-person crew of the ship was evacuated. According to the government, it was not possible to remove the oil from the ship because the two pieces of the ship are not yet separated from each other. Authorities now fear oil pollution and its impact on adjacent coastlines.
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On Tuesday, two tankers collided with each other near the port of Gibraltar. The ship carrying the liquefied gas was on its way to the Dutch port of Vlissingen and had 183 tons of heavy fuel oil, 250 tons of diesel and 27 tons of lubricating oil on board.
