Work begins on refloating and cleaning up the yacht destroyed by fire in the Port of Ibiza

The Balearic Port Authority (APB) continues to lead the management of the emergency caused by the fire on a yacht reported on April 10 at the entrance to the Port of Ibiza, in Port Zone II, where it holds responsibility for coordinating and responding to this type of incident.

At present, the APB is actively directing the most important tasks of the recovery phase: refloating the remains of the wreck and managing the waste generated in the affected area, in addition to cleaning work in the surrounding maritime environment.

The incident occurred at around 7:40 p.m., when a column of smoke was detected at the harbour entrance. Port Police officers and pilots from the Ibiza Pilots’ Association were the first to intervene, immediately evacuating the six people on board the vessel crew and passengers, within a matter of minutes and transferring them to a safe location.

While the rescue operation was being completed, the fire spread rapidly, causing severe damage to the vessel. At that point, the APB activated emergency protocols for the waters of Zone II and assumed command of the operation, coordinating all the services involved.

Once the safety of those on board had been secured, efforts focused on controlling the incident and assessing possible environmental risks, especially in relation to potential spills and damage to the marine environment. In the hours that followed, the APB deployed containment and preventive measures to minimise the environmental impact.

Over the weekend, the Port Authority has remained in charge of the emergency in coordination with the relevant town councils, the Maritime Authority, the Pilots’ Association, and the other participating agencies. Within this framework, the first operations to remove debris and clean the area have already been carried out.

At present, the operational focus is on the technical work to refloat the wreck, as well as the collection, sorting and management of the waste generated, with the aim of guaranteeing port safety and protecting the marine environment.

The work is still under way under the direct supervision of the APB, which is keeping control and monitoring measures in place until the affected area has been fully restored to normal. Refloating operations are expected to take place by the end of the week, weather conditions permitting.

The coordinated response from the very beginning, with the Port Police and the harbour pilots playing a particularly important role in the initial rescue efforts, made it possible to avoid personal injuries and limit the scale of the incident.