The mayor of the southern Spanish city of Linea de la Concepción said today that the fuel spill from the partially sunken cargo ship off Gibraltar had reached the coast of Spain, AP reported, quoted by BTA.

According to Mayor Juan Franco, the stain moved towards the coast, pushed by the winds and sea current.

The leak is from a 178-meter ship flying the flag of the Pacific nation of Tuvalu, loaded with steel, which collided in the Strait of Gibraltar with a liquefied natural gas tanker on Monday.

The tanker sustained minor damage, no one was injured in the incident.

A tanker and a ship collided off Gibraltar, there is a risk of an oil spill

Earlier today, Gibraltar authorities announced that 80% of the shipwreck's diesel fuel had been removed from the sea surface, but heavy fuel (fuel oil) was still on board.

According to unofficial data, there were 250 tons of diesel, 183 tons of fuel oil, and 27 tons of lubricants in the tanks of the vessel stuck in the shallows.

Fuel oil is potentially more polluting and more difficult to remove, posing threats to marine life and tourism in the region.