A P&O cruise vessel has encountered a collision with an oil tanker in the vicinity of the Spanish coast, resulting in injuries to several passengers who were on the ship. The incident occurred as the Britannia, P&O’s prominent flagship, carried numerous cruise enthusiasts. The vessel faced turbulent weather near Palma de Mallorca last Sunday, leading to footage on social platforms depicting the ship’s movement amidst strong winds. The mooring securing the ship gave way, causing it to sway and eventually break free. This course of events propelled the ship in the direction of the adjacent oil tanker.
A number of cruise passengers sustained injuries due to falls or airborne objects.
On Sunday, Mallorca experienced winds of up to 74 mph and heavy rainfall, leading to an amber weather alert covering the entire island. Following the collision, a technical evaluation revealed that a lifeboat had incurred irreversible damage.
P&O has announced that 321 guests will be repatriated ahead of schedule via flights as the ship makes its way back to Southampton, UK. This reduction in passenger count aligns with maritime regulations. Despite its capacity to accommodate 3647 passengers, the Britannia was operating at near-full capacity during the collision, according to P&O.
One passenger named Ricky Stubbs shared that he and his children were preparing to disembark when the collision occurred.
“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 guests to return to their rooms until further instructions. Huge respect for the captain and all the staff as they managed to stay calm and keep everyone updated. 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.”
He was provided a discount of 20 percent for his upcoming cruise, but he expressed that this offer was insufficient to adequately address the ordeal.
A spokesperson from P&O Cruises informed news.com.au that the ship encountered a weather-related occurrence during its time at the Mallorca port, resulting in minor injuries for a limited number of individuals.
