Video: Ferry Topples STS Crane, Starts Fire at Port of Barcelona

At about 0800 hours Tuesday, the ropax ferry Excellent struck and toppled an STS crane at the Port of Barcelona's South Dock, sparking a fire. 

According to port director José Alb. Carbonell and the Guardia Civil, the crane collapsed on top of containers stored on the quay, including at least four boxes containing dangerous goods. 60 firefighters, the port police, national police and four tugboats responded to the scene. The fire has since been extinguished, and Carbonell said that "none of the products [in the containers] represent a high risk." No injuries were reported. 

The Excellent had 414 passengers on board at the time of the incident. Most were bound for Tangier, Morocco, and will board another vessel in GNV's fleet this evening to continue their journey.  

A storm warning for Barcelona was in effect at the time of the allision, and the port said that that the accident may have been caused by high winds blowing the ferry into the dock. The vessel was outbound and waiting for its tug escorts at the time of the accident, and a pilot was on board, according to Carbonell. The Maritime Accidents Commission of Spain's Ministry of Public Works will investigate to determine the root cause. 

The Excellent is a 2,200-passenger ropax ferry operated by Genoa-based firm GNV. As of Wednesday evening, she remained at the pier at Barcelona's main ferry terminal.