Tanker accident in the Kerch Strait: fuel oil stains found in Yalta and Tuzla Island

As a result of the tanker accident in the Kerch Strait, fuel oil stains were found on the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea. The pollution was detected in the waters of Yalta (80 square meters) and on the island of Tuzla (over 2.5 km).

The “Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Crimea” Olga Shevtsova wrote about this in Telegram , UNN reports .

Details

On January 15, 261 monitoring teams were deployed to monitor the coast and respond to the aftermath. In one day, as Shevtsova noted:

- 830 people, 250 pieces of equipment, 29 watercraft, 2 Mi-8 helicopters and 7 drones took part in the events;

- 485.3 km of coastline, 171.85 square kilometers of water area and 29.35 square kilometers were surveyed using unmanned systems;

- 9 tons of contaminated soil and sand were collected, as well as 4.3 kg of pollution in the water area; - 0.65 km of the coastline was cleaned (1.9 km of the Tuzla Island remains contaminated);

- 80 square meters of water area were cleaned; - 81 birds were rescued.

Response efforts are ongoing on Tuzla Island and the surrounding areas.

“We continue to monitor the situation,” Shevtsova wrote.

Recall

Two Volgoneft tankers carrying fuel oil crashedin the Kerch Strait on December 15.

The tanker accident resulted in a spill of oil products. According to Russian media, the tankers were carrying up to 9,000 tons.

In the annexed Yevpatoria , areas of contamination with fuel oil were found on the coast, which continues to spread. 

New spots of oil products were found in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol .