A bulk carrier that was beached off the east coast of Gibraltar this week is reportedly leaking heavy fuel oil into the water, with authorities insisting the spill is ‘under control’.
OS 35, which was loaded with steel bars and over 400 tonnes offuel, clipped the tanker Adam LNG on Tuesday (30 Aug 22) as the former was moving to exit Catalan Bay.The vessel was then safely beached to minimise any risk of it sinking.
OS 35 LATE EVENING UPDATE
The situation surrounding OS 35 has remained stable throughout the evening which will allow the pumping out of diesel to continue overnight.
FULL PR: /ocUenG66do
— HM Govt of Gibraltar (@GibraltarGov) September 1, 2022
Booms were deployed around the beached OS 35, which was sailing under the Tuvalu flag, to prevent any potential fuel spill.
However, an oil spill was reported on Thursday (1 Sep 22), with a salvage team identifying the source of the leak to two tank vents in the ship’s bunker tanks.
OS 35 is a Tuvalu-flagged cargo vessel (Image: Gibraltar Government)
It’s reported that all vents had previously been sealed, but the ship subsequently split, resulting in the release of fuel.
The Gibraltar Ports Authority told media that divers have successfully re-sealed the tanks and were now working on stopping the leak, and insists that the spill is “fully under control”, also the environmental impact of the spill is unclear.
OS 35: Video of a skimmer within the boom alongside the vessel. Three skimmers are on site and working on different areas of the boom and the oil contained within. /lT3hGn7AMN
— Your Gibraltar TV (@YourGibraltarTV) September 1, 2022
