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2010-01-29 08:55:07 - Vehicle Incident - Spain EDIS CODE: VIV-20100129-24732-ESP
Date & Time: 2010-01-29 08:55:07 [UTC]
Area: Spain, Andalusia, Near Algeciras, Event exciting : \"Rhea\" Cargo Ship, (Greek)
Not confirmed information! Description: Spanish officials said the crew of a cargo ship refused repeated offers of assistance before it ran aground in strong winds near Algeciras on Wednesday [27.01.2010] night. Although there were no injuries or pollution, the incident is the latest in a string of accidents and has once again put maritime safety under the spotlight in this region. The 4000-tonnes Panama-flag Rhea, operated by Athens-based Blue Ocean Maritime, settled on a sandy beach near the Spanish port after dragging anchor. The 26-year old ship had stopped at an anchorage off the port to take on water and was empty at the time of the casualty. An investigation is under way and the vessel was detained by maritime authorities in Algeciras, who required the owner to post a E200,000 bond for its release. A port spokesman said the vessel’s master had turned down help from a salvage tug as the vessel drifted toward the shoreline. “Salvamento Marítimo [Spain’s maritime rescue service] repeatedly offered assistance and a towline, but the master refused,” the spokesman said. “Finally the ship ran aground.” No one at the Greek company could be reached for comment. Efforts were under way to free the ship yesterday afternoon, with a Spanish state-owned salvage tug and local pilots in assistance. The accident came just two days after officials from the governments of Gibraltar, Britain and Spain met to discuss cooperation on environmental matters including maritime safety.
This was a first contact within a wider framework that seeks to establish joint protocols to coordinate responses to shipping accidents and pollution at sea. The Bay of Gibraltar has witnessed several major casualties in recent years, including the loss of the vessels New Flame and Fedra, which both ran aground off Gibraltar. Last month, two Gibraltar-based bunker tankers rang aground on a beach in La Linea after dragging anchor in a severe storm. As in this case, there was no pollution or injury but the incident nonetheless raised concerns among environmental campaigners on both sides of the border between Gibraltar and Spain. They are worried about a sharp increase in shipping activity and are calling on maritime authorities in both countries to act urgently to tighten standards. The Rhea was not the only incident as a result of winds of up to 100km per hour on Wednesday night. A large tanker discharging crude into a monobuoy off a Cepsa refinery close to Algeciras had to abort the operation because of the adverse weather conditions. Inside the port of Algeciras, tugs intervened after a cargo ship broke free of its moorings.
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