Fuel-laden Ship Sinks Off Tunisia Coast
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published April 16, 2022 | 10:17 PM
A tanker carrying 750 tonnes of diesel fuel from Egypt to Malta sank Saturday off Tunisia's southeast coast, but officials said a large spill would likely be avoided
Gabes, Tunisia, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Apr, 2022 ) :A tanker carrying 750 tonnes of diesel fuel from Egypt to Malta sank Saturday off Tunisia's southeast coast, but officials said a large spill would likely be avoided.
The crew of the Xelo vessel had issued a distress call on Friday evening and sought shelter in Tunisian waters from bad weather before going down in the Gulf of Gabes in the morning, the authorities said.
Environment Minister Leila Chikhaoui, who travelled to the port of Gabes on Saturday to help oversee the response, said the situation was "under control".
"We think the hull is still watertight and there is no leakage for the moment," she told AFP.
"We think that the means we already have at our disposal will allow us to limit the accident," she said, adding that the government would not hesitate to appeal for foreign assistance if necessary.
The district court in Gabes said it had opened an investigation into the accident.
Court spokesman Mohamed Karray said the tanker had issued a distress call before it "sunk this morning in Tunisian territorial waters".
The Equatorial Guinea-flagged Xelo was headed from the Egyptian port of Damietta to Malta when it requested entry to Tunisian waters.
The tanker is 58 metres (63 yards) long and nine metres wide, according to ship monitoring website vesseltracker.com.
It began taking water around seven kilometres (over four miles) offshore in the Gulf of Gabes and the engine room was engulfed, according to the Tunisian environment ministry.
It said Tunisian authorities evacuated the seven-member crew.
- Polluted waters - The environment minister said authorities were waiting for the "weather to improve in terms of both the wind and the swell before sending down divers to check with more certainty on the state of the hull".
The weather was still too poor to start Saturday, Chikhaoui added.
As a precaution, protective booms to contain any oil slick have been placed in the water around the wreck under the supervision of the military.
Court spokesman Karray said the Georgian captain, four Turks and two Azerbaijanis were briefly hospitalised for checks and were now in a hotel.
The defence, interior, transport and customs ministries were working to avoid "a marine environmental disaster in the region and limit its impact", the environment ministry said.
Before the ship sank, the ministry had described the situation as "alarming" but "under control".
The Gulf of Gabes was traditionally a fishing area but activists say it has suffered from pollution from phosphate processing industries based nearby and the presence of a pipeline bringing oil from southern Tunisia.
The last maritime accident involving the country was in October 2018, when Tunisian freighter Ulysse slammed into the Cyprus-based Virginia anchored about 30 kilometres (20 miles) off the northern tip of the French island of Corsica, sending hundreds of tonnes of fuel spilling into the Mediterranean.
It took several days of maritime manoeuvres to disentangle the boats and pump some 520 cubic metres of propulsion fuel, which had escaped tanks.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
KP Assembly to pass caretaker govt's budget to fulfill constitutional responsibi ..
No plans for taxation on solar net metering: Power minister
Musadik urges political dialogue to resolve past conflicts
Funerals held for victims of attack on DR Congo camp
Federal govt reduces petrol price by Rs15.39 per litre
CM Bugti announces Rs 50 bln tube-wells solarization project
Vawda demands evidence about alleged interference in judiciary
Paramedical Association delegation calls on provincial president of PA Salam in ..
NCRC delegation discusses out of school children issue with Sindh Education mini ..
PFA imposes fine on bakeries on expired items
Maritime Affairs Minister attends 16th Annual All Pakistan Chambers Presidents' ..
Iranian cultural counselor stresses family's role in societal resilience amid Pa ..
More Stories From World
-
Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq end at records as US inflation cools
1 hour ago -
US drops Cuba criticism on terrorism cooperation
2 hours ago -
EU backs sanctions aimed at Russian 'propaganda' outlets
2 hours ago -
Man with knife wounds several in Swiss town: police
2 hours ago -
US to go ahead with $1 bln in new arms to Israel despite Rafah concerns: Reports
3 hours ago -
Curran signs off IPL 2024 with starring role for Punjab
3 hours ago
-
Man with knife wounds several in Swiss town: police
3 hours ago -
Sabalenka breezes past Ostapenko and into Rome Open semis
4 hours ago -
Funerals held for victims of attack on DR Congo camp
4 hours ago -
US drug deaths decline, hinting at progress against opioid crisis
5 hours ago -
Swiss court jails Gambian ex-minister for crimes against humanity
5 hours ago -
Digital innovations improve Tawaf ritual for 1445H Hajj season
5 hours ago