TUNISIA, April 16 (Reuters) – Tunisian authorities stepped up their efforts on Saturday to avoid an environmental disaster after a 1,000-tonne merchant ship sank off the coast of Gabes on Friday, two security sources told Reuters.
The Tunisian fleet rescued all seven crew members from the ship, which was heading from Equatorial Guinea to Malta, and sent a distress signal seven miles from the southern city of Gabes, sources added.
The cause of the accident was bad weather, the Ministry of Environment said, adding that water had penetrated the ship, reaching a height of two meters.
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The commercial fuel ship, which sank off the coast of Gabes in Tunisia on April 15, 2022, can be seen in this printout made in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, November 12, 2017. Dmitry Frolov / Distribution via REUTERS
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Authorities are working to avoid an environmental catastrophe and reduce any impact, the ministry said in a statement.
It says barriers will be put in place to limit the spread of fuel and unplug the ship before the spill is sucked out.
The Gabes coast has been heavily polluted for years, with environmental groups claiming that industrial plants in the area dump waste directly into the sea.
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Report by Tarek Amara; Writing by Alaa Swilam; Edited by Sandra Mahler and Himani Sarkar; edited by David Evans
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