The Port Authority is dealing with an incident involving a collision between two vessels in the Bay.

The vessel OS 35 clipped the vessel ADAM LNG as the former was manouvering to exit the Bay.

The Port Authority directed the vessel OS 35 to the Eastside in order to ensure it could be beached and in that way try to minimise as much as possible the risk of the vessel sinking and to secure the lives of the mariners on board.

The vessel is presently beached off Catalan Bay. Gibraltar Pilots are onboard the vessel.

Tugs are in process of being deployed and booms are to be deployed around the vessel in the event of an oil spill.

The Captain of the Port is in contact with the Captain of the Port in Algeciras in order to ensure a coordinated response that maximises the use of relevant resources in the area.

The OS 35 is Bulk Carrier. She is flagged in Tuvalu and is presently loaded with steel rebars. More information will be made available in coming hours.

0158hrs UPDATE - 30.08.22

The bow of the vessel is already resting on the seabed in 17m of water, listing only by 3 degrees to starboard.

The situation is constantly being assessed by the Port Authority.

By way of further information:

(i) the vessel is carrying 24 crew, all of which are currently still on board, at the request of the Captain of the vessel. Assets are available at the scene in order to evacuate the ship if necessary;

(ii) the ship is loaded with 183 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, 250 tonnes of diesel and 27 tonnes of lube oil and was leaving Gibraltar to head to Vlissengen in the Netherlands;

(iii) the latest advice by the Captain of the Port is that there is little to no risk to human life for any of the crew on board;

(iv) the Gibraltar Pilot has disembarked safely from the OS 35;

(v) vessels from all agencies in Gibraltar with maritime assets are in attendance around the vessel in distress; and

(vi) tomorrow at first light a dive team will be deployed by the Gibraltar Port Authority carrying out an underwater inspection.

The GPA are continuously reviewing the situation with a multi-agency operation currently underway, in the knowledge that high tide will come at 0530hrs and may require further action.

The Gibraltar Contingency Council has been convened and His Excellency the Governor, the Chief Minister and the Minister for the Port are being continuously briefed by the Caption of the Port at the Port Office on the latest situation regarding the collision at sea.

The Chief Minister has contacted the Leader of the Opposition to brief him on the latest developments.

A further update will be issued in the morning unless there are material developments to report.

0700hrs UPDATE - 30.08.22

The situation with the Bulk Carrier OS 35 has remained stable overnight. There have been no significant developments.

The Gibraltar Port Authority remains at the scene and is continuously reviewing all aspects of the situation.

Approximately 400 metres of boom are now readily available on scene ready to be deployed around the vessel in the event of an oil spill.

A notice to mariners has been issued by the GPA with a 200m exclusion zone already in place around the OS 35.

All port operations were suspended by the GPA during the initial stages of the operation for approximately 4 hours and the Gibraltar Port has now fully reopened for all activity.

The cooperation with the Algeciras Port continues, with the deployment of assets from Algeciras Port (Salvamento Maritimo) being considered.

A further update will be issued during the course of the morning.