In the Dársena de Escombreras in the port of Cartagena three workers were injured on the morning of Tuesday, 10 November 2026. According to the Centro de Coordinación de Emergencias 1-1-2 of the Región de Murcia the submarine on which the men were carrying out dismantling work sank. The emergency call reached the control centre at 08:26.
Personnel from Salvamento Marítimo and the Policía Portuaria pulled the men from the water and handed them over to the emergency medical services. Teams from the Gerencia de Urgencias y Emergencias Sanitarias 061 treated the men — aged 46, 35 and 31, according to the authorities — at the scene before taking them to Hospital Santa Lucía in Cartagena. The services initially gave no detailed information about the nature or severity of the injuries.
So far, only basic details of how the accident happened are available. It is unclear whether technical equipment failed while the hull was being lifted or secured, whether structural weaknesses in the hull played a part, or whether errors in the work were to blame. The relevant authorities are investigating the circumstances. According to the emergency call centre, the incident was reported to the Instituto de Seguridad y Salud Laboral of the Región de Murcia. This has initiated an occupational health and safety investigation, which is also likely to examine workplace regulations, qualifications, records of the work and oversight by the port authorities.
Dársena de Escombreras is an industrial port basin with facilities serving energy and bulk-goods businesses. Work on large metal structures such as ship hulls is considered high-risk: it requires robust lifting and support structures, established safety procedures and continuous monitoring of conditions. On Tuesday, it remained unclear whether these standards had been followed in this case and whether the hull’s sinking posed any environmental risks.
The information available is based on statements from the 1-1-2 emergency call centre and regional media reports. No detailed official reports from the port authority or regional health authority had been published by the time of writing. More precise information on the cause, the damage and any possible operating requirements for Escombreras is expected once official statements or accident reports become available.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).