Fes – A merchant fuel ship carrying 750 tonnes of fuel has sunk off the Gulf of Gabes in Tunisia, posing high risks of leaking and causing an “environmental disaster.”
The merchant ship, known as Xelo, was heading to Malta from Egypt when it sent a distress call on early Saturday and requested entry to the Tunisian territorial waters due to bad weather.
The Tunisian navy responded to the call and allowed the vessel to anchor off the Gulf of Gabes. Yet, the vessel began taking on water about 7 kilometers offshore and the engine room was flooded.
The navy had managed to evacuate the ship’s seven-member crew.
Commenting on the rescue operation, Mohamed Karray, a spokesman for a local court, said that the crew members were transferred to the hospital to receive the necessary medical treatment, stressing that they are all safe and in good health.
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“The ship sank this morning in Tunisian territorial waters. For the moment, there is no leak,” he told Agence France Press on Saturday, adding that a “disaster prevention committee will meet to decide on the measures to be taken.”
In a statement, the Tunisian Environment Ministry said that the Equatorial Guinea-flagged ship’s situation was “alarming,” as it “risks leaking” and hence causing an “environmental disaster.”
The ministry further outlined that it had implemented an “urgent national intervention plan” to avoid a disaster.
It reassured the international community that the situation is “under control,” indicating that the defense, interior, transport, and customs ministries are working shoulder to shoulder to avoid “a marine environmental disaster in the region and limit its impact.”
This latest event brings back memories of the chemical-laden cargo ship that sank last year in Sri Lanka.
The Singapore-registered X-Press Pearl caught fire for almost two weeks before breaking up and sinking into the seabed.
As the vessel sank deep into the sea, environmentalists rang the alarm bell about a possible environmental disaster that could deeply affect maritime life.
