P&O cruise ship with thousands of passengers onboard crashes into tanker

A small number of people were injured after the ship collided with a freight vessel

A small number of people are injured after a P&O cruise ship that was carrying thousands of British holidaymakers crashed into a petrol tanker.

The ship broke free of its moorings during a storm in Mallorca, Spain and collided with a freight vessel.

Port authorities in the capital Palma said the ship collided with a petrol tanker because of high winds.

One passenger Gavin McCoy told the BBC that the incident happened while “the local fire service and crew were carrying out an emergency drill”.

He added: “A sudden rain and wind storm ripped us away from our dockside moorings, breaking tethering lines, water hoses, and causing the walkway to fall into the sea.”

He said he was sitting by the windown in the coffee shop when he saw “the blue dockside reception marquee tents blowing through the air”.

Another passenger told Wales Online: “We were docked overnight in Palma and the wind was so strong our anchors broke and we blew out into another ship.

“We were browsing our phones in bed and heard the big horn after the bang. It was panic stations, I was bawling my eyes out.”

A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said: “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.”

A view shows a car passing through a flooded road in Mallorca, Spain, August 27, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video (@gozzo82 via X via REUTERS)

“To allow our technical teams to make an assessment Britannia will remain alongside in Palma de Mallorca tonight with onboard entertainment and activities scheduled.”

Britannia, which entered service in 2015, is 330 metres long and weights 143,000 tons, according to the company’s website. It has 13 guest decks and an operating capacity of 3,647 guests and 1,350 crew.

Torrential rain has lashed the islands of Mallorca, with the conditions leading the cancellation of over 20 flights.