Mega-Containership and Oil Tanker Collide in Gibraltar Strait
A crude oil tanker and one of the largest containerships in the world collided early Tuesday, December 3, in the Strait of Gibraltar.
The incident involved the Gloria Maris, a crude oil tanker with 25 crew members, and the HMM St. Petersburg, a mega-containership with 24 crew on board.
According to Salvamento Marítimo, Spain’s maritime rescue service, both vessels sustained damage to their lateral structures but remained in stable condition with no risk of sinking or environmental spillage. Spanish rescue ships Luz de Mar and Salvamar Denébola were immediately deployed to assist.
The collision happened roughly 8.9 miles southeast of Algeciras. The Gloria Maris, traveling without cargo, had recently offloaded 147,564 tonnes of crude oil at the port of Cartagena.
The HMM St. Petersburg, part of the FE4 service route linking North China and Northern Europe, was delivered in 2020 as the last of a series of 12 ultra-large container vessels for South Korea’s HMM. At nearly 400 meters long and with a capacity of 24,000 TEUs, it ranks among the largest ships globally.
The Gloria Maris, registered under the Liberian flag, is a suezmax tanker with a capacity of 156,620 dwt.
Authorities in Algeciras have detained both vessels for comprehensive safety inspections to assess damage, ensure their seaworthiness, and investigate the cause of the collision. As of December 4, both ships were safely anchored in the Bay of Algeciras/Gibraltar.
