A tanker carrying 750 tons of diesel fuel from Egypt to Malta sank off the coast of Tunisia today (Saturday), the AFP news agency reported.
The concern is that the sinking of the vessel is likely to result in extensive pollution of the Gulf Gulf region in Tunisia, and an ecological disaster.
"The ship sank this morning in the territorial waters of Tunisia. Currently, there is no leak," a local spokesman told the news agency.
He added that the authorities will decide in the coming hours on the necessary steps.
According to a ship tracking site, the tanker is 58 feet long and 9 feet wide.
She left a port in Egypt for Malta, and in light of the harsh weather conditions she asked last night to deviate from her route to the territorial waters of Tunisia.
At a distance of about seven kilometers from the shore, water began to seep into the tanker until the engine room was flooded.
Meanwhile, Tunisia announced that seven crew members of the ship had been rescued.
The Tunisian Ministry of Environment is monitoring the developments and will soon decide on the next steps to minimize the impact of the incident as much as possible.
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