By Jon Nazca
GIBRALTAR (Reuters) – An LNG tanker and a bulk carrier have collided off Gibraltar, leaving the latter beached, authorities in the British overseas territory on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula said on Tuesday.
The collision forced the closure of the port for four hours, but it has fully reopened, authorities said, while booms were being deployed around the beached vessel to prevent any potential fuel spill.
“The Gibraltar Port Authority remains at the scene and is continuously reviewing all aspects of the situation,” the Gibraltar government said in a statement.
The vessel OS 35, loaded with steel bars and carrying over 400 tonnes of fuel, clipped the ADAM LNG as the former 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.
The Gibraltar Port Authority directed the OS 35 to the eastside to ensure it could be safely beached to minimise the risk of the vessel sinking.
Its 24-strong crew remain onboard at the request of the captain, but could be evacuated if necessary.
(Writing by Emma Pinedo in Madrid; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
