(ANSA) — GABES, APRIL 22 — The Tunisian authorities announced that the tanker that sank off Gabes last Saturday was empty, without any risk of pollution, after initially indicating that the ship had loaded 750 tons of diesel. But when an environmental disaster has been averted, gray areas remain in the oil tanker’s route and mode of operation.
“The Xelo ship that sank in the Gulf of Gabes contains no diesel and its tanks are empty,” the environment ministry said in a statement. “It poses no immediate pollution risk,” he added. The captain of the Tunisian Navy Mezri Letayef, head of a crisis unit in the port of Gabès, indicated that this discovery was made “after the operations of Tunisian and Italian divers” after the arrival of a pollution control ship at the site from the Italian Navy. “The four tanks are filled with seawater,” Letayef said, explaining that “the ship might not actually have fuel on board.”
According to the ministry statement, the preparations that have been started to pump diesel will “stop” and the authorities will examine a possible salvage and towing of the wreck “at a later date”.
The Xelo, which Tunisian authorities said was en route to Malta, sank in Tunisian waters on April 16, where it had been under repairs due to poor weather conditions the day before. According to Tunis, it sailed from the Egyptian port of Damietta, which Egyptian port authorities denied. For reasons still unknown, this 58 meter long and 9 meter wide tanker, built in 1977, has started to take on water. The Tunisian Navy evacuated the seven crew members before the ship sank almost 20 meters. (HAND).
REPRODUCTION RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
]]>
Get the embed code
]]>