Oil tanker breaks in two off Spanish coast

A damaged tanker carrying more than 70,000 tons of oil has broken in two off the north-western coast of Spain, news reports say.

The crippled tanker Prestige, carrying more than 70,000 tons of oil, split in two today threatening Spain’s north-west coast with an environmental disaster.

“The ship split in two at eight this morning (7am Irish time),” said a spokeswoman for the regional government in Galicia.