CLS Virginia/Ulysses collision: EMSA reinforces Franco-Italian team
- Published
by Admin
Operations to separate the Cyrus-flagged container ship CLS Virginia and Tunisian-registered ro-ro vessel Ulysses continued as salvors attempted to separate both vessels, according to the Maritime Prefecture of the Mediterranean.
The Ulysses has attempted its first manoeuvre to separate itself from the CLS Virginia with towing help from Jason and Abeille Flanders; however, both vessels still remained stuck.
Experts appointed by the shipowners as well as those mandated by the Maritime Prefecture, including SMIT, a group of minesweeping divers, and the Marseilles fire brigade, will study other methods to separate the ships in the coming days.
Meanwhile, efforts to contain the 600 metric tonne bunker spill from the ruptured fuel tank of CLS Virginia continue.
A latest vessel Brezzamare from the anti-pollution network of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) joined the Franco-Italian team of six vessels for oil spill containment operations.
The oil pollution currently covers 25km divided into seven discontinuous sections. On the zone, the sea is not rough (sea 3, waves of 0,50m to 1,25m) and the wind blows towards the west for an average of 20km/h.
Related: CLS Virginia/Ulysses collision: Pollution crisis agreement activated
Photo credit: Maritime Prefecture of the Mediterranean
Published: 11 October, 2018
