InternationalNews
Russian Region Declares State of Emergency Due to Oil Spill in the Black Sea
Authorities in the Krasnodar region of southern Russia declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, stating that oil continues to flow onto the coast even after 10 days since two old tankers encountered problems.
According to Reuters, the source of the oil is two tankers that were hit by a storm on December 15. One of the tankers split in half, while the other ran aground.
The pollution, which covered the sandy beaches of the famous Anapa summer resort and its surroundings, has caused serious problems for birds and marine creatures such as dolphins and sea pigs.
In a statement, Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev announced his decision to declare a regional state of emergency due to the continued pollution of the coastlines in Anapa and Temryuk. Earlier, he had declared a less severe state of emergency at the municipal level.
Kondratyev wrote on Telegram: “Initially, according to the calculations of scientists and specialists, the main mass of fuel oil was supposed to remain at the bottom of the Black Sea, which would have allowed it to be collected from the water.”
He added: “However, weather conditions prevented that; the rise in air temperature caused the oil products to float to the surface. As a result, the water carries them to our shores.”
