A cruise ship set to sail back to Southampton has reportedly crashed off the coast of Mallorca.

It’s been reported that Britannia, a P&O ship, ploughed into an oil tanker this morning.

The accident comes after a storm ‘suddenly hit’ the island, forcing the ship to anchor before the incident occurred.

One onlooker described the Britannia ‘breaking off her moorings’ on Sunday morning.

Maritime Bulletin said the ship ‘drifted in [the] port basin… and was finally, taken under control by port tugs.’

The update reads: “Some of passengers who previously went ashore couldn’t board the ship, while those on board willing to go ashore had to stay on board.

“Reportedly, both cruise ship and tanker sustained only minor damages.”

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Passengers were told to assemble at the emergency points by the captain and crew after a loud bang was heard aboard, according to reports by the Mirror.

According to MarineTraffic, Britannia is anchored less than a mile from the shore.

The vessel set sail from Southampton on August 18 before arriving at Cadiz in Spain on August 22.

It then sailed to Cartagena and Ibiza, before arriving at Palma de Mallorca on Saturday.

The last stop on the ship’s journey is Gibraltar, with Britannia due to arrive on August 29.

However, it remains unclear how long the ship will remain in Mallorca for following the incident.

It is due to arrive back in Southampton on September 1.

A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said: “We are aware of an incident involving Britannia on Sunday morning while the ship was alongside in Palma de Mallorca. We are working to assess the situation. The captain is keeping all guests updated.”