Incident Report Subject: Gibraltar Flames die Out, Probe on Tank Explosion Begins Date of Email report: Fri 03/06/2011 Report Detail:
The blaze at the sullage plant on the Western Arm of the North Mole was successfully extinguished at 5am yesterday morning, after 14 hours of intense and courageous effort by Gibraltarian and Spanish fire fighting teams. A multi-agency investigation is now underway to analyse every aspect of the incident. “Investigations will now focus on the causes of the fire,” the Gibraltar Government said in a statement. “In addition, the Gibraltar Port Authority will carry out a full analysis and review of the incident to assess port operational aspects of the matter, and whether there is need for changes to be made.” The fire left 14 people injured, including 12 passengers on the cruise ship Independence of the Seas and two workmen who were welding in the area. A 40-year man remained in a critical condition in Seville last night having sustained burns to 70% of his body. All other injuries to people were minor in nature. Yesterday the Gibraltar Government congratulated and thanked all the emergency services involved “for their rapid, professional and effective response.” With the fire extinguished, the focus turned to the sea where oil from the burnt out tanks caused slicks in the Bay of Gibraltar. Efforts were under way throughout the day to contain the oil and mop it up but some of it reached beaches in neighbouring Algeciras, where a cleanup operation was also put in place. Gibraltar came in for harsh criticism from Popular Party politicians who insisted that specialist assistance from Spain should have been called in earlier in the incident. Additional Documentation:
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