Fertilizer ship towed to shore to freeze fermenting cargo

According to reports on the Cadena Ser radio station, the Dutch cargo ship 'Ostedijk' (archive photo) that is still experiencing problems with its cargo of fertilizers first reported during the early hours of Saturday morning off A Coruña on the Galicia coast, has been towed to the north of Lugo, around six miles to the east of Estaca de Bares.

The crisis management committee convened by the regional government to deal with the problem decided that it would be safer to attempt to freeze the fermenting cargo of fertilizers in an area sheltered from the strong winds that are currently buffeting the north west of the peninsula.

Four of the ship's crew of twelve -four Phillipino men aged 30-35- were evacuated yesterday and treated at A Coruña's Juan Canalejo Hospital for nausea, vomiting as well as and eye and throat irritations caused by inhaling fumes from the fermenting cargo that also got into the engine room and forced the motors to be stopped.

A spokesman for the Xunta's crisis team, Pilar Tejo, has played down any potential environmental or public health concerns, by explaining that regional government fertilizer experts are in contact with the Norwegian manufacturers, who have sent representatives to the scene to supervise the freezing process, and by pointing out that the gases produced by the product's fermentation are not toxic, but may cause minor irritation.

The 'Ostedijk' is carrying 6,000 tonnes of fertilizers from Porsgrunn in Norway to Valencia.