A commercial ship loaded with fuel sank off the Tunisian coast last Friday, as the ship was heading from Equatorial Guinea to Malta, which heralds an environmental disaster in the Mediterranean.< /p>
Today, Sunday, the Tunisian Ministry of Defense said that countries have offered to help Tunisia to control the situation after the sinking of the ship carrying up to a thousand tons of fuel off the coast of Gabes. In an effort to avoid an environmental disaster.
Officials said the navy succeeded in rescuing all seven crew members, noting that the ship was carrying between 750 and 1,000 tons of fuel and sent a distress call a distance away. Seven miles from Gabes, the Tunisian navy responded.
In a statement sent to Reuters, the Ministry of Defense said that the Tunisian navy will intervene with countries that have expressed their desire to help prevent marine pollution and a marine environmental catastrophe.
Radio Mosaique in Tunisia said that Italy had offered to help and that it was expected to send a battleship specialized in dealing with maritime disasters.
And yesterday, Saturday, the Public Prosecution opened an investigation to determine the responsibilities and listen to the ship's crew.
The Ministry of Environment said the cause of the accident was bad weather.
The ministry added that the authorities had formed a crisis cell and were working to avert an environmental disaster and reduce any potential impact.
She said that barriers would be put in place to limit the spread of fuel and encircle the ship before removing any leaks from it.
The coast of southern Gabes has been facing heavy pollution for years, with environmental organizations saying industrial facilities in the area dump waste directly into the sea.
