The Spanish-flagged cargo ship ‘Betanzos’ has been stuck in a sandbank off the port of Lisbon for more than a week, after grounding on 6 March, local media reported. The 118-meter cargo ship ran aground in the early hours of last Tuesday, after suffering a power failure, while leaving the Lisbon docks heading for Casablanca, Morocco.
As reported, after failing to anchor, heavy weather pushed the ship towards Bugio, a small island in the River Tagus, where the vessel remains ever since. The ten crew members were air lifted out of the ship on Thursday due to inclement weather conditions.
According to data provided by the Lisbon Maritime Authority, there is no spill risk at the moment, as the ‘Betanzos’ has sustained no structural damage and the crew has move tanks containing the fuel to the stern, Xinhua news agency reported.
Attempts to refloat ‘Betanzos’ have failed so far. As high tide is required to attempt a salvage operation, an effort was planned for Monday night when a high-tide would take place, however tracking data still show the vessel at the same location.