Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
SURREAL is a clean-up operation underway on the southern coasts of Spain.
Dozens of refrigerators in white and several containers of cargo have been seen floating on the Strait of Gibraltar.
The bizarre sightings stem from an incident involving the MSC Houston V, a massive cargo ship that lost between 15 and 20 containers during rough seas caused by Storm Martinho near Cape São Vicente, Portugal, on March 20.
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After being forced to divert, the ship de-loaded its cargo to reposition it after experiencing a major change during the storm.
The ocean’s bounty began to be released more than two months later.
Spanish Maritime Rescue teams are working 24/7 to collect drifting debris since the weekend.
Currently, 24 refrigerators, three shipping containers, and appliances have been found washed up along beaches such as Roche, Zahora, Bolonia.
The rescue operation has been coordinated and led by Algeciras Maritime Authority and the Maritime Rescue Centres of Tarifa and Cadiz.
The Salvamar Enif and Arcturus are among the key vessels involved.
The Enif delivered 11 more fridges to the port of Tarifa, while the Arcturus collected another 13.
Denebola secured the container in Algeciras after it was towed first by Luz de Mar. Suhail delivered another container in the port Cadiz Monday.
Although the operation has made progress, it is still not over.
Maritime Rescue has sent out radio alerts for all vessels to stay vigilant.
The Strait is a densely populated area for maritime traffic, and the debris that drifts presents a serious navigational hazard.
It is important that vessels report new sightings as soon as possible to assist in the recovery effort.
The incident, while creating a headache for the port authorities and shipping companies, has also inspired some humour in social media.
In a viral TikTok video, a friend filmed a young boy off the coast Conil de la frontera paddling on an old fridge like it was a surfboard.
Experts warn that unrecycled gas in fridges can pose a pollution risk.
For now, Spain’s maritime teams are on high alert and hoping that the danger does not cause any serious incidents.
