New Flame Sinking

high winds buffeted the Strait of Gibraltar this weekend and ferry traffic was at a standstill, there was news that the stricken cargo vessel, the New Flame, lying off Gibraltar since hitting a tanker last August, was sinking. Only the funnel and the stern mast remained above the surface on Sunday, ecologists said.
The ecologist group, Verdemar, blamed two slicks which have appeared in the Bay of Algeciras on the sinking vessel. They are understood to be between Rinconcillo and Playa de la Concha, and from the River Pícaro in Getares as far as the port in Algeciras.
Regional government offices in the Campo de Gibraltar confirmed to Europa Press on Sunday morning that the emergency plan has been put in place and said the coast has been affected, but that waters out to sea appeared to be clear. They made no comment on the origin of the pollution.
The Verdemar spokesman, Antonio Muñoz, said Titan Salvage, the company which is carrying out the recovery operation for the New Flame, had only left one of its tugs in place at the scene attempting to hold the cargo ship in place, and criticised actions by both the company and the government in Gibraltar.