The Tunisian authorities indicated on Saturday that a ship transporting diesel from Egypt to Malta “risks sinking” in front of the south-eastern coast of the country, which say they are working to avoid “a marine environmental disaster in the region”.
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The merchant ship Xelo, loaded with "about 750 tons of diesel", asked Friday evening to enter Tunisian waters because of bad weather conditions, the environment ministry said in a statement.
The ship, which had departed from the Egyptian port of Damietta, was heading for the European island of Malta.
An “alarming” situation
While about 7 km off the coast of the Gulf of Gabès, southeast of Tunisia, the merchant vessel began to take on water, which seeped into the engine room, rising to nearly two meters high.
The crew, made up of seven people, was rescued by the Tunisian authorities.
Although the ship "is at risk of sinking" according to the authorities, the Tunisian Ministry of the Environment has specified that the situation is "currently under control".
Nevertheless, the ship's situation was described as "alarming" by the Ministry of the Environment, which announced the establishment of a "national emergency response plan" to avoid the sinking of the ship and a marine pollution.