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Accident leaves bulker stranded off Gibraltar

A CARGOSHIP lay half-submerged off Europa Point yesterday after sustaining serious hull damage following a collision with a laden double-hull tanker, writes Brian Reyes.

The incident prompted a major joint emergency operation by authorities in Gibraltar and Spain.

The 23 crewmen on the stricken Panamanian bulk carrier New Flame were brought to shore and checked by medical authorities in Gibraltar, but there were no injuries.

Curious bystanders flocked to Europa Point throughout the day to watch the drama unfold just a few hundred metres from the lighthouse.

The collision occurred close to an area protected under nature conservation laws and will again renew concerns about the density and safety of shipping in the Bay of Gibraltar.

The New Flame foundered in almost exactly the same spot where the tanker Samothraki ran aground earlier this year.

“This site has only been designated a protected area in the last year and we’ve already had two incidents,” said Eric Shaw, head of the marine section of the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society. “There needs to be a concerted effort by all sides to understand what’s gone wrong and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

The collision occurred at around 0600 hrs on Sunday morning less than a mile from Europa Point.

The New Flame had taken on fuel in the Bay of Gibraltar and was sailing into the Strait of Gibraltar when it collided with the Danish product tanker Torm Gertrud, which was sailing into Algeciras to carry out a crew change.

Officials in Gibraltar and Algeciras were last night checking communications records and vessel tracking data to piece together the sequence of events. The Gibraltar Maritime Administration has opened a formal investigation.

Among the issues under investigation is why the New Flame sailed from Gibraltar without first obtaining the necessary clearance from the Port Authority.

This is not the first such incident in Gibraltar’s waters. In 2004, the cruiseship Van Gogh sailed from Gibraltar and collided with the tanker Spetses, which was sailing into Algeciras. But the investigation into the causes of the incident took second place to ensuring there was no pollution as a result of the collision.

The Torm Gertrude was carrying 37,000 tonnes of gasoline and was able to make its own way to Algeciras, where it remained at anchorage yesterday.

The New Flame, which was carrying scrap iron, suffered serious damage to its bow and took on water in two of its cargo holds. Yesterday morning it lay half-sinking in 23 m of water below Europa Point, held in position in high winds by tugs from Gibraltar and Spain.

Port of Gibraltar officials told Lloyd’s List yesterday afternoon that they were not expecting New Flame to sink.

“The current situation is that the bow of the vessel is resting on the reef and the remainder of the vessel, from amidships to the stern, is above the surface of the water,” a Gibraltar government spokesman said. Transmar Shipping, the Piraeus-based owners of the New Flame, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

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ooh ahhhhh! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.208.88.165 (talk) 10:12, 8 March 2008 (UTC)

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