Spain collaborates with France in emergency operations on vessel 'Grande America' with a Sasemar 103 plane and the vessel 'Luz de Mar'

The Maritime Rescue vessel 'Luz de Mar' arrived on Sunday to take part in the pollution clean-up work with its ocean barriers and booms, joining up with the other vessels that had been collaborating with the unit, the 'Alonso de Chaves' and 'María de Maeztu'.

In addition, the Sasemar 103 plane has been carrying out daily flyovers since 16 March to assess the development of the spill. The National Maritime Plan remains at warning level.

The merchant vessel 'Grande America' sank on 12 March some 180 miles to the west of Penmarc'h point, a Search and Rescue zone assigned by the International Maritime Organisation to France, which is coordinating the emergency through the Atlantic Maritime Prefecture.

Collaboration between the Spanish maritime authority and France has been ongoing since 14 March, following the activation of the Biscay Gulf Plan - the collaboration plan between the two countries in the event of an accident in the Atlantic Ocean.

Non official translation