Tunisia: Ship Carrying 750 Tons of Fuel Sinks Off Coast
A ship carrying 750 tons of fuel sank off Tunisia’s southeastern coast on Saturday, authorities said on Saturday.
Tunisia’s Ministry of Environment said authorities were evaluating the situation following the sinking of the ship but did not provide further information.
“The ship sank this morning in Tunisian territorial waters. For the moment, there is no leak,” the AFP news agency quoted an official as saying.
The Equatorial Guinea-flagged ship was heading from Egypt to Malta when it requested to enter Tunisian waters due to bad weather.
The ship began taking in water which got into the engine room while the ship was some 7 kilometers (4 miles) off the Gulf of Gabes coast.
The seven crew members were rescued by Tunisian authorities.
The Defense, Interior, Transport and Customs ministries are working to avoid “a marine environmental disaster in the region and limit its impact,” the Environment Ministry said.
