A fire on the ship ‘Tenacia’, which runs the Valencia-Palma route, keeps passengers trapped on board since last night. The ship, owned by GNV Grandi Navi Veloci, left Valencia at around 9 p.m. and the fire started in the engine room at 2.18 a.m. The ferry was due to arrive at 5 a.m., but this Monday it is still north of the coast of Ibiza, where it started. The ferry was due to arrive at 5 a.m., but this Monday it is still north of the coast of Ibiza, where the incident started.
A total of 350 passengers and 61 crew members are on board. According to the company, there are no passengers affected by the smoke.
Some of the passengers have explained to Diario de Ibiza that after 9 o’clock this morning a ship of Salvamento Marítimo has arrived to the area to begin the rescue. Also working on the ship are firefighters who have arrived in a Maritime Rescue helicopter.
Exact location of the ship / DI
The incident was immediately managed by the crew and the ship’s firefighting team, with the help of the ship’s equipment and according to safety procedures, as reported in a press release from GNV.
Likewise, some of the passengers have explained to this media that the crew made them put on their life jackets and go to the meeting points in case the situation became complicated. It was not until this morning that they received notice that they could take them off. None of the areas accessible to passengers were affected by the fire.
The company explained that the ship’s commander is keeping passengers informed of the situation. It has also informed that the commander has the support of the Emergency Group Ashore, which met immediately at the Company’s control tower (Maritime Support Center), and of the relevant maritime authorities, with whom he has remained in constant contact and with whom he is coordinating the safety protocols on board.
After giving notice by radio, Salvamento Marítimo has mobilized the ‘Salvamar Acrux’ from Ibiza, the ‘Salvamar Libertas’ from Puerto Portals, the ‘SAR Mesana’ from Palma and the ‘Marta Mata’ from Castellón, as well as the helicopter from Palma. The aircraft transported three firefighters from the Generalitat de Catalunya on board the ‘Tenacia’ and at around 09.00 a.m. it was refueling in Ibiza.
The ‘Abel Matutes’ was the only vessel in the area that could provide assistance and the Maritime Coordination Authority territorially responsible for the management of rescue activities (MRCC) determined that it should remain in place, interrupting the Barcelona-Palma route. The vessel was then about to sail from Palma to Valencia.
Apparently, will have to wait until 5 p.m. for a tug to take the ship back to Valencia.
The ‘Tenacia’ is 199 meters long and 27 meters wide and has a capacity for 869 passengers and 120 vehicles (including cars and trucks). It was launched on June 3, 2007 and entered service on April 4, 2008 with Grimaldi.
Delays
For all these reasons, the incident will cause delays in the operations of both GNV and Baleària throughout the day. GNV has indicated that they are studying alternatives for passengers as it is possible that the ship will be towed back to Valencia. The shipping company has enabled the phone number 39 0102094599 for family assistance. They can also call 112.