Liberian bulk carrier wrecked at Gibraltar’s Europa Point during severe storm.
MV Fedra was a Liberian-registered bulk carrier cargo ship built in 1984 by Burmeister & Wain in Copenhagen. On 10 October 2008 it ran aground at Europa Point, Gibraltar, during gale-force 12 winds, broke in half, spilled about half its 300 tons of fuel, and caused coastal pollution.
MV Fedra was a Liberian-registered bulk carrier cargo ship, one of 19 sister ships built by Burmeister & Wain in Copenhagen, Denmark. Launched on 10 August 1984 and completed the same year, it measured about 737.7 feet in length, with a beam of about 105.8 feet, gross tonnage of 35,886 and deadweight tonnage of 63,940. Fedra operated from October 1984 until October 2008. On 10 October 2008 Fedra ran aground and smashed against Europa Point, the southernmost tip of Gibraltar, during severe gale-force winds measuring 12 on the Beaufort scale. Spanish and Gibraltarian emergency services mounted a joint rescue operation, and Gibraltar declared a Major Incident. Five of the 31 crew members were airlifted to safety by a Spanish coast guard helicopter, while the remaining crew were hoisted by an improvised crane system. Shortly after the rescue the vessel broke in half. About half of Fedra’s 300 tons of fuel spilled into the sea. Oil washed ashore along Gibraltar’s western coast, particularly around Rosia Bay and Camp Bay, and Spanish sources reported fuel reaching Campo de Gibraltar beaches as far as Tarifa, with slicks also appearing in the Bay of Gibraltar.
