Many injured after catamaran ferry hits rocks off Ibiza

Several people were being treated in hospital on Sunday after a ferry ran aground off the Spanish island of Ibiza.

Emergency services told local media the incident had resulted in 25 people incurring injuries, including a 10-year-old boy who was airlifted to hospital.

The catamaran fast ferry San Gwann belonging to the German shipping company FRS was en route from Ibiza to Formentera late on Saturday evening when it ran aground on a rocky outcrop between the two Mediterranean islands.

There were 35 passengers and 12 crew members on board, the local authorities and FRS confirmed.

10-year-old boy seriously hurt

One of the passengers was a 10-year-old boy, who was badly injured and flown by helicopter to a hospital on Mallorca, the regional newspaper Diario de Ibiza reported, citing authorities.

The San Gwann, a car ferry, makes the 30-minute journey between Ibiza and Formentera with up to 427 passengers.

In a message on its website on Sunday, the German firm which owns the boat said the line had been suspended and that the "priority is the passengers and crew."

No oil spill

The regional president of the Balearic Islands, Francina Armengol, on Sunday thanked the emergency services in a Twitter post.

Later on Sunday, she added: "Most of the injured have already been discharged, but we are still paying close attention to the child admitted to Son Espases. The causes of the accident are being investigated and work is already being done on towing the ferry. There is no leakage or spillage of fuel oil."

jsi/dj (Reuters, dpa)