p&o cruise liner crash

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Mallorca: P&O ship with thousands of Britons onboard collides with tanker

Cruise vessel’s mooring ropes snapped in high winds, which blew liner into nearby oil transport ship off coast of Palma

A P&O cruise ship carrying thousands of British holidaymakers has crashed into an oil tanker off the coast of Palma in Mallorca after it snapped its moorings.

The Britannia was blown by gales towards the other vessel on Sunday after a storm battered the island in the Balearics. P&O said a small number of people had sustained minor injuries.

It was understood that 321 guests from the ship will be flying home early as it heads back to Southampton with a reduced number of people on board, as required by maritime law.

Ricky Stubbs, a passenger, said he and his children had been about to disembark when the crash happened.

“We were at the stairwell next to the sunset bar,” he said. “A loud crash came from the bar and the door flung open with people running in. Within seconds there was more crashing followed by chaos as people were trying to escape the onslaught of wind and rain.

“People were being ushered in by other guests and staff. You could clearly see some had injuries due to either falling over or debris flying around, and people were distraught.

“A couple of minutes later the captain came over the speaker asking all guest to return to their rooms until further instructions.”

Stubbs said the passengers had been told they would be staying overnight while the boat was moored up so the damage could be assessed.

“Huge respect for the captain and all the staff as they managed to stay calm and keep everyone updated,” he said. “The captain made announcements every 10-15 minutes once we were back in our cabins and they did a great job in a stressful situation.”

The £473m ship, which entered service in 2015, is the flagship of the P&O fleet.

A P&O Cruises spokesperson said: “On Sunday 27 August, P&O Cruises Britannia was impacted by severe weather when alongside in Palma de Mallorca.

“Following inspections, our third-party surveyor has confirmed that one of Britannia’s lifeboats has sustained structural issues and cannot be repaired onboard.

“We are so sorry but these extraordinary circumstances mean that the ship is required, by maritime regulation, to return to Southampton with a reduced number of people onboard.

“A limited number of guests and crew on board have been advised that they will be leaving the ship and will be returned to Southampton (or their starting point) by flight and transfer. The guests remaining onboard will be able to enjoy the entertainment and activities scheduled for the remainder of their trip.”

Mallorca had been experiencing winds of 75mph and torrential rains, which caused sun loungers to be blown into the air. An amber weather alert was in place across the whole of the island and had been extended until midnight on Sunday.

The Tramuntana region and the north and north-east of the island were most likely to be affected, forecasters said.

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People injured after P&O cruise ship involved in 'weather-related incident' in Mallorca

It's reported that P&O ship Britannia, carrying thousands of travellers, crashed into a freight vessel on Sunday morning during severe storms.

Monday 28 August 2023 08:22, UK

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Exclusive: Video shows moment P&O Britannia cruise ship crashes at Mallorca harbour

F ootage has captured the moment a P&O cruise ship carrying thousands of British tourists crashed into another vessel near to the shore of the Spanish island of Mallorca, leaving some onboard suffering injuries.

The video, sent to WalesOnline by passenger Ben Griffiths, shows the extremely popular MV Britannia ship slowly moving towards the smaller vessel before colliding with it. The crash is followed by a loud horn.

Multiple holidaymakers staying in Mallorca and aboard the cruise ship on Sunday have told WalesOnline how the ship had been forced into the other vessel due to a storm which swept through the island on Sunday morning. Officially the cause of the collision remains unconfirmed.

Pictures sent to WalesOnline from the ship, which you can see here, show passenger decks damaged following the collision, with tables and chairs in disarray. A separate video sent by Welsh holidaymakers also in Mallorca, which you can see here, shows the extent of the storm that hit the island on Sunday as it wrecked one Mallorca hotel, even turning sunbeds over and into the pool and sending loungers flying through the air.

Following the sounding of the horn on the Britannia on Sunday morning all passengers were told to remain inside their cabins, passengers explained, while being told, “this is not a drill”, by the captain after they heard a loud bang and saw debris floating in the water, they said.

One Welsh woman, who is on board with her partner and two children, said: “We were docked overnight in Palma and the wind was so strong our anchors broke and we blew out into another ship. We were up browsing on our phones in bed and heard the big horn after the bang. It was panic stations, I was bawling my eyes out. We went out onto our balcony and could see debris in the ocean and all the damage to the side of the boat and our lifeboat.”

The Welsh passengers said the Britannia ship was anchored less than a mile from the shore following the accident. Other passengers have since reported the ship has since docked again at Palma for the night while further checks are carried out to establish if the ship is seaworthy.

Another passenger, Mark Beckwith, told WalesOnline on Sunday evening: "The captain has and is doing an amazingly calm job with the fantastic crew. It's very calm and relaxed onboard now and we are just redocking to collect the passengers who were off the ship for the duration of the incident."

A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said: “On Sunday, August 27, P&O Cruises Britannia was involved in a weather-related incident while alongside in Palma de Mallorca. A small number of individuals sustained minor injuries and are being cared for by the onboard medical centre. To allow our technical teams to make an assessment Britannia will remain alongside in Palma de Mallorca tonight with onboard entertainment and activities scheduled.”

The Britannia set sail from Southampton on August 18 for the Mediterranean cruise including stops at Cadiz and Ibiza and had been due to leave Mallorca on Sunday afternoon. It can carry up to 3,647 passengers and is 330 metres in length. She has a crew of 1,398 and cost £473m.

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P&O cruise ship with thousands of passengers onboard crashes into tanker

A small number of people were injured after the ship collided with a freight vessel, article bookmarked.

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A small number of people are injured after a P&O cruise ship that was carrying thousands of British holidaymakers crashed into a petrol tanker.

The ship broke free of its moorings during a storm in Mallorca , Spain and collided with a freight vessel.

Port authorities in the capital Palma said the ship collided with a petrol tanker because of high winds.

One passenger Gavin McCoy told the BBC that the incident happened while “the local fire service and crew were carrying out an emergency drill”.

He added: “A sudden rain and wind storm ripped us away from our dockside moorings, breaking tethering lines, water hoses, and causing the walkway to fall into the sea.”

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He said he was sitting by the windown in the coffee shop when he saw “the blue dockside reception marquee tents blowing through the air”.

Another passenger told Wales Online: “We were docked overnight in Palma and the wind was so strong our anchors broke and we blew out into another ship.

“We were browsing our phones in bed and heard the big horn after the bang. It was panic stations, I was bawling my eyes out.”

A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said: “P&O cruises Britannia was involved in a weather-related incident while alongside in Palma de Mallorca. A small number of individuals sustained minor injuries and are being cared for by the onboard medical centre.”

“To allow our technical teams to make an assessment Britannia will remain alongside in Palma de Mallorca tonight with onboard entertainment and activities scheduled.”

Britannia, which entered service in 2015, is 330 metres long and weights 143,000 tons, according to the company’s website. It has 13 guest decks and an operating capacity of 3,647 guests and 1,350 crew.

Torrential rain has lashed the islands of Mallorca, with the conditions leading the cancellation of over 20 flights.

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P&O Cruise passengers injured after 'weather-related' incident in Mallorca

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Reporting by Kylie MacLellan and Graham Keeley; Editing by Alison Williams

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Southampton-based P&O cruise ship Britannia crashes in Spain during storm

• Cruise ship
• Monday 28 August 2023 at 2:05pm

A cruise ship which left Southampton earlier this month has crashed after its moorings snapped in stormy weather.

A number of passengers onboard have suffered minor injuries.

The P&O Britannia cruise ship, which was carrying thousands of British passengers, crashed into another vessel on Sunday (August 27) just off the coast of Palma.

Photos and videos posted on social media from those onboard show the vessel struggling in the stormy conditions.

Sue Roberts spoke to ITV News Meridian from her cabin onboard the Britannia about the moment the cruise ship broke free from its moorings

Mallorca had been experiencing 75mph winds and torrential rain, which caused sun loungers to be blown into the air.

Passengers were told to remain inside their cabins while being told 'this is not a drill' by the captain after they heard a loud bang and saw debris floating in the water

The captain later confirmed that there was no "structural compromise" resulting from the incident.

In a statement P&O Cruises said: "We are aware of an incident involving Britannia on Sunday morning while the ship was alongside in Palma de Mallorca.

"We are working to assess the situation. The captain is keeping all guests updated. To allow our technical teams to make an assessment Britannia will remain alongside in Palma de Mallorca tonight with onboard entertainment and activities scheduled.”

P&O added that a 'small number' of people are being cared for onboard after receiving 'minor injuries'

The £473m ship, which began sailing in 2015, is the flagship of the P&O fleet based in Southampton, Hampshire.

The Britannia set sail from Southampton on August 18 for the Mediterranean cruise including stops at Cadiz and Ibiza and had been due to leave Mallorca on Sunday afternoon.

P&O cruise ship crashes on Mallorca as panicked Brits 'in tears' fearing for their lives

A terrified customer on board the P&O cruise ship said it was 'panic stations' when the horn blew on board the Britannia vessel after a storm 'suddenly hit'

• 15:25, 27 Aug 2023
• Updated 07:52, 28 Aug 2023

A packed P&O cruise ship carrying thousands of British passengers has crashed into an oil tanker off the coast of Palma in Mallorca after it snapped its moorings.

Holidaymakers were left stranded after gales sent the Britannia hurtling into another vessel in the Balearics. It was reported that a storm “suddenly hit” the island with heavy rain and hail accompanied by strong 55 MPH gusts. The huge £473m ship is currently said to be anchored less than a mile from the shore following the accident.

Passengers were told “this is not a drill”, by the captain earlier after they heard a loud bang and saw debris floating in the water. Terrifying footage shows poolside furniture being tossed around as frantic staff attempted to calm customers on board the 140,000-tonne ship.

A "small number" of passengers are being cared for onboard after sustaining "minor injuries", P&O said in a statement. There were conflicting reports that guests were ordered to report to their emergency points, known as muster stations.

Thousands were left in waiting rooms as they awaited updates. One woman, who is on the ship with her partner and two children, said: “We have now been told we’re allowed to leave our cabins but we can’t do anything on the ship and all the crew are in their life jackets and doing all of their emergency things. The side of the boat is battered."

She told WalesOnline : “We were docked overnight in Palma and the wind was so strong our anchors broke and we blew out into another ship," she believed. "We were up browsing on our phones in bed and heard the big horn after the bang. It was panic stations, I was bawling my eyes out.

"We went out onto our balcony and could see debris in the ocean and all the damage to the side of the boat and our lifeboat. The captain said: ‘Everyone, this is not a drill.’ Lots of people were running around looking panicked. Then they came around again and said everyone needs to get back to their cabins. We’re still none the wiser. I can’t see how they’ll be able to sail it again after this.”

Passenger Gary McGuinness is on board and told the Mirror of his experience: "Me and my seven-year-old daughter Kasey stepped off the ship to go out for the day. I then saw a wall of water and wind heading towards us down the concrete jetty - it looked like a sort of ferocity that you would be unable to stand up in.

"The large fold out greeting umbrellas on the jetty, shot past into the sea about 80mph. We stepped back into the ship and about 8 seconds later, we broke our moorings. The walk way that we were just stood on, I think fell into the sea. But when you first witnessed it happening it looked, like the ship opposite and the concrete jetty was floating away. But of course we were floating away into a small cargo ship and rocks opposite."

He added: |I didn’t see any injuries myself. The fire brigade on the jetty and the ship itself were running an emergency drill at the time of the incident."

It comes as flights across the islands face cancellations and delays over the challenging weather conditions. The Majorca Daily Bulletin reported that 84 storm-related incidents were reported inside an hour today.

A witness to the event told the publication: "What a mess. A 200-tonne ship has carried it to the other side of the harbour like it was straw. Something must surely have been damaged. It went like a missile to the other side."

The Britannia set sail from Southampton on August 18 for the Mediterranean cruise including stops at Cadiz and Ibiza. The ship can carry up to 3,647 passengers and is 330 metres in length. She has a crew of 1,398.

A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said: “We are aware of an incident involving Britannia on Sunday morning while the ship was alongside in Palma de Mallorca. We are working to assess the situation. The captain is keeping all guests updated.”

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Cruise ship sent crashing into cargo vessel as hurricane-force winds hit Majorca

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Several passengers on board a P&O cruise ship sustained minor injuries when severe stormy weather sent it smashing into a cargo vessel in Majorca.

Along with its neighbours Ibiza and Menorca, the island is being battered by hurricane-force winds and torrential rain.

Weather warnings for wind and stormy seas have been extended into Monday for the Balearics and parts of Catalonia in Spain ’s north-east.

Thousands of people sailing on the P&O ship Britannia, which is based in Southampton, got a frighteningly close look at the extreme weather this morning.

Their vessel broke free from its moorings near the island’s shore at around 11am and collided with a smaller ship nearby, causing the walkway to fall into the sea.

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According to BBC News , the captain informed passengers after the incident that ‘there’s no structural compromise, but deck five has sustained a small amount of damage’.

Britannia, which can hold 6,647 passengers and 1,350 crew, will remain in Palma while a technical assessment is completed.

One Welsh passenger told WalesOnline : ‘It was panic stations, I was bawling my eyes out.

‘We went out onto our balcony and could see debris in the ocean and all the damage to the side of the boat and our lifeboat.’

P&O said a small number of people had sustained minor injuries and were being cared for on board.

A spokesman for the company said: ‘On Sunday 27 August, P&O Cruises Britannia was involved in a weather-related incident while alongside in Palma de Mallorca.

‘A small number of individuals sustained minor injuries and are being cared for by the onboard medical centre.

‘To allow our technical teams to make an assessment, Britannia will remain alongside in Palma de Mallorca tonight with onboard entertainment and activities scheduled.’

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