Experts are concerned
Singapore battles oil spill after ship collision
Following the collision between a dredger and a tanker, in which 400 tons of oil spilled into the sea, the island state of Singapore is now battling an oil spill that is threatening people and nature. Experts are concerned.
The Dutch-flagged dredger "Vox Maxima" was unable to maneuver due to a defect and rammed into and damaged the Singaporean tanker "Marine Honour" (pictured below) on Friday. According to reports, around 400 tons of heavy fuel oil leaked into the sea and is now polluting the beaches.
Nature reserve also under threat
According to Singapore's maritime and environmental authorities, oil booms have been erected and the oil has been treated with dispersants. Despite this, the oil slick reached the coast due to the tidal currents. Among the areas affected by the oil slick are the Sentosa resort, which is popular with tourists from all over the world, and a nature reserve.
Beaches throughout the country are closed until further notice. Emergency services are desperately trying to contain the oil spill. The authorities have deployed almost 1,500 meters of floating barriers and 18 boats for the clean-up operation.
Oil suffocates sea creatures
According to the nature conservation group Marine Stewards, dead fish, otters and birds covered in oil are being discovered in large numbers. The oil film is causing sea creatures such as turtles and dolphins to suffocate. Tourists report black, oil-contaminated beaches and a strong stench.
"The oil spill is a growing environmental disaster that is affecting some of the region's most important and biodiverse marine protected areas and fisheries," Heng Kiah Chun from the NGO Greenpeace told the media company Bloomberg.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
Da dieser Artikel älter als 18 Monate ist, ist zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt kein Kommentieren mehr möglich.
Wir laden Sie ein, bei einer aktuelleren themenrelevanten Story mitzudiskutieren: Themenübersicht.
Bei Fragen können Sie sich gern an das Community-Team per Mail an forum@krone.at wenden.