EMEA News
Maersk Line Box Ship Spills Bunkers Off Spanish Coast
Salvamento Marítimo, Spain's maritime emergency response agency, says that the Nele Maersk container ship Tuesday informed them that an accidental spillage of bunkers had occurred during a routine fuel transfer between tanks.
In response, Salvamento Marítimo says it dispatched one helicopter, a plane, and two vessels, the Punta Mayor and Aldebaran Salvamar to survey the size of the spill and minimize its effects.
"According to initial assessments the spill amounts to approximately 35 metric tonnes," a spokesperson for Salvamento Marítimo was reported saying.
The spill area is said to be about 140km off the Catalan Coast and 100 km from the Balearic Islands.
The Danish-flagged containership was said to be bound for Genoa with a 21-person crew.
The incident is said to have been reported to the Port of Genoa and Danish authorities, and the Harbour Master of Barcelona has enabled the National Maritime Plan at level 1.
In April, roughly 120 kilos of bunker fuel was reported to have been recovered on the Spanish coast after a Russian fishing trawler sank nearby earlier that month.
