THE shipwreck off Greenland A boat containing thousands of litres of diesel has caused an oil spill in nearby fjords that firefighters are trying to contain, police in the autonomous Danish territory announced on Friday.
“Oil films are visible on the water surface in the Nanortalik fjords due to a leak from the ship Adolf Jensen, which sank yesterday morning” after hitting rocks during the night from Wednesday to Thursday, the police detailed in a press release.
All those on board were able to be evacuated during the sinking.
The Adolf Jensen, a 30-metre-long cruise ship flying the Greenlandic flag and capable of carrying up to 12 passengers, contained between 15,000 and 20,000 litres of diesel in its tank, plus 1,000 litres of petrol.
Despite the immediate deployment of a pump and a floating barrier within a 50-metre perimeter around the incident area, “an oil spill occurred in the fjord” due to “problems related to tides, winds and sea currents”, the police said in its statement, which added that the firefighters had received additional equipment to contain the leak.
The Danish Navy’s Arctic Command has also been requested to assist with the recovery and treatment of the spilled diesel fuel by the Ministry of Civil Protection and the Environment.
Any person or vessel in the area has been urged by police to “exercise caution and navigate slowly to minimise disturbance in the water”.
Contacted by AFP, Rasmus Chr. Rasmussen, CEO of 60 North, owner of the Adolf Jensen ship, declined to comment. “I have no comments, I don’t know what happened. I have to talk to the police and my crew,” he said.
Related News :