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Russian tanker to stay at Spanish port pending probe into collision

Russian tanker Midvolga-2 collided with a Spanish fishing trawler off Spain’s Barcelona on Monday

MADRID, March 21. /TASS/. The Russian tanker Midvolga-2 that collided with a Spanish fishing trawler off Spain’s Barcelona will stay at the Barcelona port until the causes of the accident are established, the local sea rescue service said on Tuesday.

The accident took place in mid-day on Monday some three kilometers off the coastline. Two crew members of the Spanish boat went missing and two more were rescued by the Russian crew and taken to hospital with symptoms of hypothermia. By now, rescuers have spotted the trawler, which will be examined by a special robot on Wednesday.

A spokesman for Catalonia’s Civil Guard, the oldest law enforcement agency in Spain, said that members of the Russian ship’s crew have been questioned as witnesses. The two sailors of the Spanish boat who are now at hospital are unable to bear witness.

The Russian 140-meter-long Midvolga-2 tanker was built in 2014. It was on its way from Barcelona to Alexandria when it collided with the 25-meter-long fishing boat owned by a local family running a fishing business.

Russia’s consulate general in Barcelona said it is in permanent contact with the port’s administration and police in order to ensure protection of the Midvolga-2 crew’s interests. "We a offering all necessary consular services," a consulate spokesman said.

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