The MV Britannia broke free of moorings on Sunday, colliding with shipping in Mallorca. Photo / Twitter; Amanda Newport, Stephen Marsh
The MV Britannia broke free of moorings on Sunday, colliding with shipping in Mallorca. Photo / Twitter; Amanda Newport, Stephen Marsh
A number of people aboard a P&O cruise ship were reported injured after extreme weather on the Spanish island of Mallorca.
P&O Britannia reportedly collided with a fuel tanker during high winds that blasted the port of Palma, on Sunday.
Passengers said that the ship broke free of its moorings,telling the BBC that the 3600-passenger liner “floated away like a paper boat”.
A spokesperson for parent company Carnival said there were minor injuries among passengers and crew.
“P&O Cruises Britannia was involved in a weather-related incident while alongside in Palma de Mallorca. A small number of individuals sustained minor injuries and are being cared for by the onboard medical centre.”
Following the collision the captain announced there had been “no structural compromise”, in an attempt to calm guests via the PA system.
The Guardian reported that 321 guests from the ship would fly home early to reduce the number of passengers onboard, as required by maritime law.
“A limited number of guests and crew on board have been advised that they will be leaving the ship and will be returned to Southampton (or their starting point) by flight and transfer,” Carnival said.
The ship is due back to its home port on September 1.
Travellers to the Spanish resort island of Magaluf were buffeted by terrifying winds. Photo / Inastgram; estelaorts
The port city reported heavy rain and winds gusting up to 120km/h this weekend.
Extreme weather in the Balearics and southern Spain comes at the end of a heatwave.
Twenty flights were cancelled into Barcelona Airport on Sunday, because of high winds.
Estela Orts, a dancer from the resort island of Magaluf, said passengers thought they were going to die during turbulence on approach to Mallorca airport on Sunday.
“In the end it was just a scare,” she said, sharing video from the cabin to social media. The clip showed WC doors flying open and luggage rolling around storage bins overhead.
