A fuel tanker is reported to be in trouble off the French coast after colliding with a container ship in the Channel.
According to the BBC, the YM Uranus – which was carrying 6,000 tonnes of heavy Pygas, a type of gasoline – hit a Panamanian bulk container off Brittany last night.
The Maltese-registered tanker's 13-strong crew has been evacuated by helicopter to a military base near Brest and a spokesman for the French regional coastguard said that authorities had not received any indication of a spill.
"For the moment we have no sign of pollution. The helicopters flights being carried out right now will confirm or reject this analysis," he told French radio, adding it was a priority for authorities to establish the "exact composition" of the solvent on board.
"Then we will have to see if the boat is at the risk of sinking quickly and above all if we can tow it back to a port to make it safe," he added.
The ship is understood to still be afloat, but listing heavily to port. A French frigate and a tug are nearby to assess whether it can be towed safely to port.
The relief operation began at around 5.30am local time when French emergency services received a distress call from YM Uranus. Sailing from Porto Marghera in Italy to Amsterdam, the tanker ran into trouble around 55 miles (90km) south-west of the tiny island of Ouessant, off the Brittany coast. The Hanjin Richzad bulk container was travelling between Las Palmas in Spain to Rotterdam.Peter Bullard of Falmouth coastguards said no pollution had been reported.
"There's certainly no imminent threat," he told BBC Radio Cornwall.
"It'd be foolish of me to say that pollution would never reach us, but there's certainly no imminent threat. And that's not our concern at the moment."
A spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the operation was being co-ordinated by the French coastguard.
According to the BBC, the YM Uranus – which was carrying 6,000 tonnes of heavy Pygas, a type of gasoline – hit a Panamanian bulk container off Brittany last night.
The Maltese-registered tanker's 13-strong crew has been evacuated by helicopter to a military base near Brest and a spokesman for the French regional coastguard said that authorities had not received any indication of a spill.
"For the moment we have no sign of pollution. The helicopters flights being carried out right now will confirm or reject this analysis," he told French radio, adding it was a priority for authorities to establish the "exact composition" of the solvent on board.
"Then we will have to see if the boat is at the risk of sinking quickly and above all if we can tow it back to a port to make it safe," he added.
The ship is understood to still be afloat, but listing heavily to port. A French frigate and a tug are nearby to assess whether it can be towed safely to port.
The relief operation began at around 5.30am local time when French emergency services received a distress call from YM Uranus. Sailing from Porto Marghera in Italy to Amsterdam, the tanker ran into trouble around 55 miles (90km) south-west of the tiny island of Ouessant, off the Brittany coast. The Hanjin Richzad bulk container was travelling between Las Palmas in Spain to Rotterdam.Peter Bullard of Falmouth coastguards said no pollution had been reported.
"There's certainly no imminent threat," he told BBC Radio Cornwall.
"It'd be foolish of me to say that pollution would never reach us, but there's certainly no imminent threat. And that's not our concern at the moment."
A spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the operation was being co-ordinated by the French coastguard.