The General Directorate of Emergencies of the Government of the Canary Islands declared a state of alert for marine pollution in Lanzarote on Wednesday, September 10, following an incident where a fishing vessel ran aground with five migrants on board and subsequently caught fire off the coast of the municipality of Haría, specifically in the Órzola area.
The incident occurred when the vessel became stranded near a low point close to the coast. A fire broke out on board, exacerbating the emergency and necessitating the activation of civil protection measures.
Emergency Phase Initiated
According to official information, an emergency phase was declared at 15:30 under level 1 of the National Maritime Plan upon confirmation of spillages in the sea. Shortly thereafter, from 18:00, the Territorial Emergency Plan for Civil Protection of the Canary Islands (PLATECA) transitioned from a pre-alert phase to an alert phase to ensure the monitoring and coordination of the control efforts.
Alert Heightened Due to Risk
The escalation to an alert status is a response to the need to anticipate a more complex scenario due to the risk of spillages reaching the shore.
