Tunisia, others seek to limit damage after ship sinks carrying fuel

TUNIS, April 17 (Reuters) – Tunisia will work with other countries that have offered to help it to prevent environmental damage after a merchant ship carrying up to one thousand tonnes of oil sank in Tunisian waters, the defence ministry said on Sunday.
The ship was heading from Equatorial Guinea to Malta when it sank seven miles off the coast of the southern city of Gabes on Friday. The Tunisian navy rescued all seven crew members following a distress call. read more It was carrying between 750 tonnes and one thousand tonnes of fuel, officials said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register The defence ministry did not name the countries that had offered to help, but local media said Italy was expected to send a naval vessel specialised in dealing with marine disasters.
A specialised marine diving team has begun work around the ship to check for any oil leakage. The merchant fuel ship which sank off the coast of Gabes in Tunisia on April 15, 2022 is seen this handout picture taken in Rostov-on-Don, Russia November 12, 2017. Dmitry Frolov/Handout via REUTERS Read More “The situation is reassuring and under control, and no leakage of gasoil has been recorded until now from the tank of the sinking ship,” Rabie Majidi the transport minister said.
He said the next stage was “delicate and sensitive” as the ship must be taken out of the water without allowing leakage.
On Saturday, Tunisian authorities opened an investigation into the sinking, which the environment ministry said was caused by bad weather.
“Tunisia will determine later the losses and will demand compensation,” Laila Chikaoui, the environment minister said.
The ministry said barriers would be set up to limit the spread of the fuel.
The coast of Gabes has suffered major pollution for years, with environmental organisations saying industrial plants in the area have been dumping waste directly into the sea. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Reporting By Tarek Amara; news Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Barbara Lewis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.