# FEDRA aground at Europa Point



## loylobby (Sep 23, 2007)

Some pretty dramatic pictures.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...half-smashing-Gibraltar-rocks-heavy-seas.html

and

http://www.gibfocus.co.uk/imagegallery/fedranew/image.php?id=0


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## ddraigmor (Sep 13, 2006)

Glad they got the crew off - that was a lucky escape.

Jonty


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## Banni (Aug 27, 2005)

There is some footage on YouTube:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lG-6Z-1GuuA


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## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

loylobby - thank you for starting this thread, and on the basis that the thread and maybe the Fedra as well, will remain for some time and be of some lasting interest, I have taken the liberty of re-naming the title so it catches the eye.
(Thumb) 
Mark


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## BillH (Oct 10, 2007)

ddraigmor said:


> Glad they got the crew off - that was a lucky escape.
> 
> Jonty


On another website a member living in Gibraltar stated that the rescue helicopter took 5 crew off before suffering a mechanical failure the remainder being taken off using and onshore crane and basket.

He also stated that the Gibraltar / Algiceiras area suffered some other casualties during the storm and has posted some photos. The unladen bulker TAWE was lifted onto rocks by the extreme swell after leaving Algiceiras. I won't state the website as it is a subscription site because if you are a member you will more than likely have seen the images.

I believe salvage crews are in the final stages of clearing a previous casualty that grounded and broke her back off Gibraltar. Bulk carrier BLUE FLAME but she was in fairly open water rather than against the shore.


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## loylobby (Sep 23, 2007)

Tonga said:


> loylobby - thank you for starting this thread, and on the basis that the thread and maybe the Fedra as well, will remain for some time and be of some lasting interest, I have taken the liberty of re-naming the title so it catches the eye.
> (Thumb)
> Mark


Seems like a damn fine idea to me, I must admit Cargo Ship Aground was a wee bit vague.


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## ROBERT HENDERSON (Apr 11, 2008)

At least there was no loss of life due in no small part played by those willing to risk their own lives to save others.

Robert


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Great to read they all got off by one means or another, interesting to see where she has broken does it remind you of another ship that went aground off Ireland?


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## ROBERT HENDERSON (Apr 11, 2008)

I at the moment at very angry old man. I have just read the account of this loss in the Mail on Sunday. After the article it invites comments from readers, one of the comments is from a James Markson, from Luton, in which he states that it is a good job it didn't happen in the UK as our lot are to lazy to risk their lives to help others. I have written a comment in reply, just have to wait and see if it will be published.

Regards Robert


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## MARINEJOCKY (Nov 25, 2007)

Robert,

the following is the comment on the Mail on Sunday web site, disgusting, I too replied but I do not see either of ours

"Shame nothing like this would ever happen in Britain, what with all the health and safety and lazy selfish rescuers who can't be bothered to save anyone.
- James Markson, Luton, 12/10/2008"


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## dicamus (Jun 13, 2005)

I am also very angry with James Markson and have also deposited a reply

Dick


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## G0SLP (Sep 4, 2007)

Typical ignorant rubbish, sadly repeated by many in the UK these days.

There is too much ignorance about the maritime tradition of the UK. (Cloud)


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## mike N (Nov 13, 2007)

Very angry and saddened by such plain ,stupid ignorance as shewn in Marksons comments. Have posted my thoughts on Mail website.



Mike


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## dicamus (Jun 13, 2005)

It's a slow process by the sites moderators but let's hope all our replies are accepted and listed to show our disgust at 'his' remarks.

Dick


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## ROBERT HENDERSON (Apr 11, 2008)

Thanks lads for also sending comments, so far the Mail has not posted them. I can only think that Markson is some sort of idiot that doesn't get out much, apart from our gallant lifeboat persons (notice PC HERE) the mountain and fell rescue teams are also volunteers who go out in atrocious weather to rescue people who have go up mountains ill prepared.

Regards Robert


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## ROBERT HENDERSON (Apr 11, 2008)

I have now sent a strongly worded email to the editor of the Mail on Sunday regarding the offensive comment.

Regards Robert


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## Jacktar1 (Jul 17, 2005)

Absolutely disgusting..........'lazy & selfish' ? How many remember the 1947 "SAMTAMPA" tragedy when the vessel was lost on Sker Rocks off Porthcawl, Bristol Channel, no survivors from the Samtampa and also the Mumbles lifeboat lost attempting the rescue with loss of the entire crew. I saw the lifeboat being launched, it returned a few hours later as they had not located the Samtampa, after a few minutes it headed back out into a severe SW'ly gale force 9, increasing to storm force 10, never to return.


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## Binnacle (Jul 22, 2005)

Thanks loylobby for posting that. Pity about the poster from Luton with the learning difficulties.


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## loylobby (Sep 23, 2007)

ALL comments have been removed from the webpage, something must have struck home with the editor or journalist. 

All our complaints/comments reaped rewards, although I would have preferred to see all our comments belittling the idiot from Luton.


An edit:- just looked at other Mail pages and their are no comments on any story so possibly a technical fault and not Nostalgia Power after all


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## mallenyman (Oct 14, 2008)

My son works at Gib airport and assisted in the `breeches buoy` rescue, having been called out from the pub! The Spanish SAR Sea King`s mechanical failure was caused when a huge sea thrown up off the ship`s side hit the aircraft, causing a flame-out and loss of one engine. The Dauphine which replaced it could not cope with the weather. The airfield is now in only limited use, as the sea wall at the western end of the runway was severely damaged.


BillH said:


> On another website a member living in Gibraltar stated that the rescue helicopter took 5 crew off before suffering a mechanical failure the remainder being taken off using and onshore crane and basket.
> 
> He also stated that the Gibraltar / Algiceiras area suffered some other casualties during the storm and has posted some photos. The unladen bulker TAWE was lifted onto rocks by the extreme swell after leaving Algiceiras. I won't state the website as it is a subscription site because if you are a member you will more than likely have seen the images.
> 
> I believe salvage crews are in the final stages of clearing a previous casualty that grounded and broke her back off Gibraltar. Bulk carrier BLUE FLAME but she was in fairly open water rather than against the shore.


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## loylobby (Sep 23, 2007)

mallenyman said:


> My son works at Gib airport and assisted in the `breeches buoy` rescue, having been called out from the pub! The Spanish SAR Sea King`s mechanical failure was caused when a huge sea thrown up off the ship`s side hit the aircraft, causing a flame-out and loss of one engine. The Dauphine which replaced it could not cope with the weather. The airfield is now in only limited use, as the sea wall at the western end of the runway was severely damaged.


Thanks for the additional info. 

(Daily Mail comments section is back with none of ours posted)


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## ROBERT HENDERSON (Apr 11, 2008)

In an earlier posting I stated that I had sent an email to the editor of the Mail, to date not even the courtesy of an acknowledgement. It must have been received otherwise it would come up as not possible to deliver.

Regards Robert


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

The "lazy" comment by the chap from Luton was uncalled for, perhaps we should put another Ruway in at Luton Airport right over his place of abode, however there does appear to be an "air" of discontent with the senior level of the R.N.L.I. in the wake of the three lads who made the recent rescue in a R.I.B. which they had themselves paid for to be repaired but that had not been re-certified for use and therefore did not comply with R.N.L.I./ H.S.E. regulations. If that is correct it seems amazing that a "Rescue Station" was left with an un-certified boat with no certified temporary replacement available. Bearing in mind that the R.N.L.I. is not by any means a poor charity and sometime back other charities were asking them to "back off" from street type collections and for them to just rely on the large single donations they receive. It also seems amazing that these lads had to pay for the repair themselves, unless there are other reason's why that happened. When people give to a charity they expect the money to be spent not to promote a very healthy bank balance or shut a Lifeboat Station down (as on the Tees) after just spending a fortune refurbishing it. One appreciates that the yearly costs to run the R.N.L.I. must be fairly high but it will be interesting to know as to whether the Charity has funds in Iceland and just how much they have there. There is no doubt that the people at the "sharp end" of the Service are indeed very brave in their rescue efforts but it appears that the people in charge who are not actually involved in a rescue do not appear to understand that sometimes it is required to "think outside the box" otherwise threats of discipline would not enter into it. It is of course a fine line between being brave and being stupid, if it comes off it's brave, if it does not then it was stupid to try it and I can't help feeling the people at the top are covering their own backsides when they use threats of disciplinary action.


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## James_C (Feb 17, 2005)

Geordie Chief,
You're being quite unfair to the RNLI with that post.
The 'lifeboat' in question was not one of the RNLI fleet, it did in fact belong to the Coastguard (MCA). It was the MCA itself which banned it's use.
The RNLI had nothing to do with the boat, nor it's enforced layup.
The article is here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7561158.stm


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## Riptide (Aug 21, 2007)

ROBERT HENDERSON said:


> I at the moment at very angry old man. I have just read the account of this loss in the Mail on Sunday. After the article it invites comments from readers, one of the comments is from a James Markson, from Luton, in which he states that it is a good job it didn't happen in the UK as our lot are to lazy to risk their lives to help others. I have written a comment in reply, just have to wait and see if it will be published.
> 
> Regards Robert


Just done the samething I was disgusted at his comments.Hope he never needs them,but then again maybe just maybe.Kenny.(Cloud)


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## Chouan (Apr 20, 2006)

I did the same and quoted the "Pride of Britain" website about the Torbay lifeboat crew. 
However, I doubt whether our comments will fit in with what the Mail on Sunday wants to be being said.


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## Riptide (Aug 21, 2007)

Chouan said:


> I did the same and quoted the "Pride of Britain" website about the Torbay lifeboat crew.
> However, I doubt whether our comments will fit in with what the Mail on Sunday wants to be being said.


It seems the nutters rule.Still no voice for those of sane mind.The site was last updated 12th Oct.Carn't be bothered I suppose,not interested in the oppinions of sane people.Kenny.(Cloud)


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## Chouan (Apr 20, 2006)

Still not updated. The above comments are obviously true.


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## ROBERT HENDERSON (Apr 11, 2008)

In a previous post on this thread I stated that I had sent an email direct to the news editor of the Sunday Mail, I still have not had a reply.

Regards Robert


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## surfaceblow (Jan 16, 2008)

From Marine Discussion, Studies and Information [[email protected]]; on behalf of; Michael Pryce 
To Marine L

In danger’s hour



Brian Reyes witnessed the dramatic rescue of the grounded Fedra’s crew off Gibraltar



22 October 2008 Lloyds List



SITTING at the controls of a crane poised on the edge of sheer cliffs at Europa Point in Gibraltar, Raul Muñoz trembled as he lowered the steel cradle one last time into the void.

He was blinded by lashing rain and sea spray driven by extreme gale force winds, but emergency workers outside guided his every move.

Below him, 11 terrified seafarers huddled on the bow of the Liberian-flag cargoship Fedra as it heaved and pitched on savage waves.

The 63,940 dwt ship had run aground 12 hours earlier and the sea pounded it throughout the night, hammering the hull like a cork repeatedly against the limestone cliffs.

Faced with a potential calamity, Gibraltarian and Spanish rescuers mounted a daring night-time operation that pitched sheer courage and determination against the most ferocious storm seen in this region for decades.

On October 10, for a period of over 12 hours, the Strait of Gibraltar was whipped by gusts of wind of up to 180 km per hour, the equivalent of a grade two hurricane. The storm swell destroyed coastline infrastructure, flooding parts of Gibraltar and neighbouring Spanish towns.

And in the midst of this maelstrom, the 24-year old Fedra hit the rocks.

The first rescue attempt came from the air.

Buffeted and tossed around by the wind, the pilots of a helicopter operated by Spain’s Salvamento Marítimo guided their machine close to the wreck and lowered a diver onto the deck. The helicopter managed to airlift five seafarers from the Fedra before it was forced to make an emergency landing after seawater entered its rotor turbines.

Such was the speed of the landing that the diver was left on board the cargo ship, where he was preparing for the next airlift.

With the helicopter grounded, rescuers on land were left to find another way of getting the men offthe ship.

That was when they brought in the crane from local company EuroGruas (Gibraltar) and positioned it at the edge of the cliff with Mr Muñoz at the controls.

Lit by powerful lamps on fire trucks, they worked through the night in atrocious conditions but with incredible success. First a group of six crewmen came up, then a group of four, then five men in one go.

It was a dangerous manoeuvre. Had the cradle snagged on the ship, the crane could easily have toppled over the edge. To stop the cage swinging wildly, four ropes were secured and manned by men on the clifftop. There were policemen there, firemen, military personnel and civilians too.

William Pulham of the Royal Gibraltar Police was with the team working on a lookout directly above the bow of the ship, in one of the most exposed positions.

“We could hear the waves hitting the ship, then the ship hitting the cliff,” he said. “It was terrifying, but it made us even more determined to get those men off.”

But it was a risky task. At one point, the grinding ship gouged out part of the cliff and a wall next to the rope team collapsed, almost taking the men with it.

By one in the morning, they knew could not go on. The storm had intensified and it was impossible — and increasingly hazardous — to continue working. Reluctantly, senior officers pulled their men back to the shelter of a nearby mosque, which had opened its doors to the emergency teams.

The last man to come off the ship at this point was the rescue diver from the Spanish helicopter. He was raised by the crane using little more than a harness and was flung about like a kite before he was lowered to safety.

Inside the mosque, the rescue teams tried to recoup strength and prepare to return to the cliffs.

“The wait was everlasting,” said the RGP’s Inspector Ian Howes, who was one of the first police officers at the scene and saw the ship as it approached the rocks and ran aground.

“We were inside the mosque, wrapped in space blankets drinking hot tea.”

“We couldn’t begin to imagine what it must have been like for those men on the ship.”

Throughout the night, police officers took turns to make their way carefully to the edge of the cliffs, to shout down and check on the 11 men below.

But as the weather eased a little in the morning and they prepared to renew the rescue, they feared the worst.

At best, they thought the men would be weakened by the nightlong exposure to the waves and the wind, unable to help themselves. At worst, they thought some, if not all, would have been washed overboard.

But when they peered down through the gloom, they spotted at least eight men in their orange lifejackets still moving below. Incredibly, the Fedra crew had survived the night.

As a police inspector conveyed the news over a megaphone, his words sent a shockwave through the rescue teams, revitalising sore limbs and boosting their resolve to get the job done.

Once again the cradle swung out over the cliff and down toward the deck. By this time, the tide had dropped again, giving the vessel a touch more stability in the heavy seas.

“We had one shot and we took it,” PC Pulham said.

As Mr Muñoz, a 26-year-old from Los Barrios in Spain, lowered the cradle down toward the deck, he and the other rescuers knew the sailors’ lives were in their hands. These men were the last ones left on board and the ship was being ripped apart.

Against all odds, all 11 men clambered into the cage, lying on top of one another in their desperation to get off the ship.

The cradle heaved like a pendulum as the crane lifted it off the vessel and swung it toward dry land, but teams on the cliff top managed to control it using ropes secured to the cage.

“I could see them as they came up,” Mr Muñoz said. “I couldn’t hear them because of the storm, but I could see their terrified eyes.”

With the last of the Fedra safe crew on land, the rescuers collapsed, overwhelmed by a potent mix of elation and exhaustion. There were hugs and tears, pride and disbelief at what they had just achieved.

“I can’t describe the sensations that we lived through that night, the noise of the ship hitting the cliff, the smell of grinding metal, the power of the wind and the sea,” Inspector Howes said.

The rescue operation pooled resources from across Gibraltar, both from civilian and military sectors.

The police and City Fire Brigade played a critical role in the clifftop rescue, as did the Defence Fire Service and Royal Air Force personnel who assisted throughout the helicopter operation. Volunteers also rushed to the scene, including military personnel who had been enjoying a drink in a nearby pub. Ambulance crews and hospital staff worked throughout the night to treat the seafarers.

Maritime expertise was provided by the Gibraltar Port Authority and seasoned salvors from Titan Salvage, who were in Gibraltar working on the wreck of the New Flame, a cargoship that foundered nearby just over a year ago.

By mid-Saturday morning the crew of the Fedra, Filipino sailors and Romanian officers, had been checked by medical staff at St Bernard’s Hospital and taken to the Caleta Palace hotel, where they sat huddled in the lobby in in good health, if still shell-shocked. They declined to recount their experience, saying only that it was a very confusing time for them.

In the wake of the storm began the investigations into why the Fedra ran aground in the first place.

The RGP arrested the vessel’s master and twoofficers on suspicion of contravening port regulations. All were released on police bail without chargewhile investigations continue, and are due to report back to police tomorrow.

The police investigation is running in parallel to one by the Gibraltar Maritime Administration, which is examining all the technical aspects of the casualty without seeking to apportion blame.

One area of focus for both is the sequence of events that led to the ship hitting the rocks.

The Fedra ran aground after suffering engine failure and dragging its anchor until it came perilously close to the shore, despite the efforts of two tugs to keep it away from the coast.

The investigations will scrutinise events that day in close detail and will also seek to establish whether the crew on the Fedra followed proper procedures to communicate the vessel’s cir***stances to the Gibraltar port authorities in a timely manner.

The 36,000-tonne ship was empty at the time of the casualty and was carrying only a small amount of bunkers for its own consumption, believed to be around 300 tonnes of fuel oil.

At least 150 tonnes of that oil spilt into the bay and much of it washed ashore in thick slicks, affecting both Gibraltar and Spain.

The spill was relatively minor and the bulk of it was quickly mopped up. But the incident has nevertheless reignited longstanding concerns about intense shipping activity in this region.

Apart from the Fedra incident, the east side of Gibraltar has witnessed two major casualties in as many years, including the grounding of the tanker Samothraki and the collision between the New Flame and the Torm Gertrud. All three casualties happened just off Europa Point.

Even before this latest incident, the Gibraltar Government had unveiled plans to purchase a new vessel traffic monitoring system that will enable the local port authority to better monitor and control shipping in Gibraltar waters on both sides of the Rock.

The port currently uses a feed from the Ministry of Defence station at Windmill Hill but there are concerns about disruptions in service. Under EU regulations, European ports are required to invest in this sort of equipment by 2009.

“The new system will provide all-round coverage,” said Peter Hall, newly-appointed chief executive and Captain of the Port of Gibraltar.

The issue of maritime co-operation is also on the agenda for high-level diplomatic talks between Gibraltar, Spain and the UK in the coming weeks.

Although there is already extensive co-operation at a practical level — as was proved by the Fedra incident — all three governments are keen to cement that into a more formal structure.

One of the key issues that will be addressed is the possibility of establishing a traffic separation zone to help de-conflict ship movements in the Bay of Gibraltar. On either side of the bay, the politicians will come under close scrutiny.

“We hope the authorities from both sides of the border will address the serious environmental challenges posed by the dense level of shipping activity in the bay and avoid an ecological disaster,” said Janet Howitt, spokeswoman for the Environmental Safety Group, a non-governmental organisation in Gibraltar that has long campaigned for tighter controls over shipping.

While the Fedra aftermath unfolds on land, Mr Muñoz is still work at Europa Point.

He and his crane are helping to move personnel and equipment onto the wreck, where marine surveyors have assessed the ship’s condition and are preparing a plan to remove the wreck.

The ship was literally ripped in two but the bow section retains some buoyancy and may be towed away. Removing the stern will prove a trickier task as it lies on the seabed, firmly wedged into the base of the cliffs where 31 men nearly lost their lives.


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## John Campbell (Aug 30, 2005)

GIBRALTAR police have arrested the captain and two crew members of the bulk carrier Fedra, which split in two during severe weather on 10 October. according to Safety at Sea Newsletter
regards
JC


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## UmbornePirate (Feb 3, 2007)

*Another view of the rescue*

Further details of the rescue are *here*. A confused night - as the differences in the reports show.

Pirate


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## Santos (Mar 16, 2005)

chadburn said:


> The "lazy" comment by the chap from Luton was uncalled for, perhaps we should put another Ruway in at Luton Airport right over his place of abode, however there does appear to be an "air" of discontent with the senior level of the R.N.L.I. in the wake of the three lads who made the recent rescue in a R.I.B. which they had themselves paid for to be repaired but that had not been re-certified for use and therefore did not comply with R.N.L.I./ H.S.E. regulations. If that is correct it seems amazing that a "Rescue Station" was left with an un-certified boat with no certified temporary replacement available. Bearing in mind that the R.N.L.I. is not by any means a poor charity and sometime back other charities were asking them to "back off" from street type collections and for them to just rely on the large single donations they receive. It also seems amazing that these lads had to pay for the repair themselves, unless there are other reason's why that happened. When people give to a charity they expect the money to be spent not to promote a very healthy bank balance or shut a Lifeboat Station down (as on the Tees) after just spending a fortune refurbishing it. One appreciates that the yearly costs to run the R.N.L.I. must be fairly high but it will be interesting to know as to whether the Charity has funds in Iceland and just how much they have there. There is no doubt that the people at the "sharp end" of the Service are indeed very brave in their rescue efforts but it appears that the people in charge who are not actually involved in a rescue do not appear to understand that sometimes it is required to "think outside the box" otherwise threats of discipline would not enter into it. It is of course a fine line between being brave and being stupid, if it comes off it's brave, if it does not then it was stupid to try it and I can't help feeling the people at the top are covering their own backsides when they use threats of disciplinary action.


Geordie Chief,

As stated a very unfair posting against the RNLI - especially as this was all a Coastguard matter and nothing at all to do with the RNLI. With regard to the RNLI being a rich charity- they are not, they only have limited funds. This year they have lost three of their biggest Lifeboats to the sea and need the funds even more to replace them. I dont know where you get your information from but it is totally wrong especially when you cant even get the right organisation. I think that you owe the senior management members of the RNLI who do a bloody difficult job very well, an apology.

Chris (Cloud)


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