In the early hours of Sunday morning, operations began to surround and extract the fuel and oil spill that had Spiled from the cargo ship “VSG GLORY” that ran aground after breaking down in the Marhaniya reefs off the shores of the city of Quseir, south of the Red Sea. Large areas of rubber barriers were deployed to contain the oil spill and prevent it from spreading to new areas
A oil spill after a cargo ship ran aground
Yesterday, Saturday, the coasts of the city of Quseir, south of the Red Sea, witnessed a oil spill after a cargo ship ran aground in the famous coral reef area in the region, amid environmental warnings about the impact of the spill and the runoff on the marine and coastal environment for which the region is famous, especially since the accident was near the beaches of a number of tourist villages north of Quseir.
21 crew on board
The Oil Pollution Control Center was notified to go to the spill site to contain the leaked fuel, suck it up and contain it after it extended to the coastal area.
The ship’s grounding caused a technical failure in one of the engines. There were 21 crew on board, including sailors and technicians, of different nationalities, including 10 Indians, 4 Syrians, an Iraqi, and 4 Egyptians..
Initial investigations
Initial investigations revealed that the ship involved in the accident is called “VSG GLORY”, a cargo ship flying the flag of the Comoros Islands, coming from a Yemeni port and was on its way to Port Tawfik in Suez.
The accident a direct threat
The ship is 100 meters long and 19 meters wide , and 8,200 DWTs., and the ship stopped in an area close to and facing a number of tourist resorts in the city of Quseir, which made the accident a direct threat to the nearby coral reefs, which are among the most beautiful in the world.
Quick measures were taken
The inspection also proved that the ship collided with the edge of the reefs in the area, which caused a rift in it and the delegations were injured
Immediately after the accident, the relevant authorities were notified, including the Safaga Sea Port Authority, the Environmental Affairs Agency, and the Red Sea Northern Island Reserve where quick measures were taken to ensure that the situation did not escalate.
Tow the ship away from vital areas
A marine tugboat was sent from Safaga Port to tow the ship away from vital areas that include coral reefs. Cairo faced difficulties in towing the ship to deep waters and faced difficulties in towing the ship due to the surrounding geographical conditions and shallow waters that hinder the ship’s movement to deep waters.
Initial environmental reports
Initial environmental reports and images indicate that the ship suffered a fuel tank spill after the ship’s hull hit the edge of the coral reef, and the oil pollution extended to the beach, raising concerns about oil spilling into the water and polluting the marine environment. A oil spill into marine waters can cause significant damage to the ecosystem, particularly affecting coral reefs and the coastal environment.
A technical committee
A technical committee of Red Sea Reserves researchers has been formed in the Quseir office to go to the site to assess the situation accurately. The committee’s tasks include checking for any damage to coral reefs or other marine organisms in the area. Water samples will also be taken to analyze the pollution content resulting from the spill
The Red Sea Environmental Affairs Authority and emergency teams are on standby to address any negative impacts on the environment. An environmental report will be prepared with any results related to the damage assessment in the coming days.
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