Spain demands explanation over UK nuclear sub collision

Spain has called for “urgent” answers from authorities in London after a British nuclear submarine collided with a merchant vessel off the coast of disputed Gibraltar.

According to the reports, in a Thursday statement, the Spanish Foreign Ministry said it “has asked the British embassy in Madrid for urgent explanations over the extent of the breakdown and all relevant information regarding the circumstances of this incident.”

An HMS Ambush submarine was carrying out a training exercise when it collided with a vessel and was forced to duck in Gibraltar located on Spain’s southern tip.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense attempted to allay fears, saying the nuclear plant on board the submarine, which was equipped with torpedoes and cruise missiles, was undamaged.

However, Antonio Munoz, a prominent activist from environmental group Ecologistas en Accion in Spain, said more information was needed amid fears of a potential leak in the ocean surrounding Gibraltar.

“We don’t know exactly where the collision happened, where the other vessel is, whether the vessel that collided with the submarine was a freighter, an oil tanker... We don’t know whether there was a leak from the vessel,” Munoz said.

Spaniards have voiced opposition to the presence of British nuclear submarines in Gibraltar in the past.

SS