Some neighboring countries have offered Tunisia a helping hand to avoid environmental damage after a merchant ship carrying up to 1,000 tons of fuel sank off the country’s coast, Tunisia’s defense ministry said.
The ship, which was en route from Equatorial Guinea to Malta, applied to enter Tunisian waters on Friday evening due to bad weather. It sank near Gabes and the Tunisian Navy rescued all seven crew members. After being examined at the hospital, all seven were taken to a hotel.
Xelo carried between 750 and 1,000 tons of fuel. The tanker was 58 meters long and 9 meters wide, according to vessel tracking website Vesseltracker.com.
In a statement sent to Reuters, the Defense Ministry said the Tunisian navy will work with countries that have expressed a desire to help control the environmental damage. According to reports from Saturday, there was no leak at the time.
Local media said Italy has offered its help and is expected to send a naval vessel specializing in maritime disasters.
On Saturday, Tunisian authorities launched an investigation into the sinking of the ship, which the environment ministry said was caused by bad weather.
Barriers were said to be erected to limit the spread of the fuel and seal off the ship before the spill was vacuumed.
The coast of the southern town of Gabes has been heavily polluted for years. Environmental organizations say industrial plants in the area are dumping waste directly into the sea.