Due to the heavy weather in the area, the bulk carrier Fedra sustained engine failure, dragged anchor and ran aground off Europa Point, , following which it lodged against a cliff and subsequently broke up. Several hours later, the bulk carrier Tawe ran aground near the . Both vessels have limited quantities of bunker fuel on board, and the leakage of oil is putting the environment in the vicinity of the vessels under threat.
Since Sunday Oct 12, the EMSA vessel Bahia Tres has been involved in locating oil slicks with its onboard oil slick detection system and, more importantly, has been recovering patches of oil and smaller slicks where ever possible. So far, the operation has met with success, and a number of tons of oil have already been recovered, thus reducing the environmental damage caused by the accident.