Russian Emergencies Ministry says fuel oil contaminated 54 km of the Black Sea shore in Kuban

54 km of the Black Sea coastline in the Krasnodar region need to be cleaned from fuel oil pollution after the accident with oil tankers, as reported in the Russian Emergencies Ministry on December 21.

Specialists of the agency continue to eliminate the consequences of the oil spill.

"In total it is necessary to free from pollution 54 km. Of them in Anapa - 44 km, in Temryuksky district - 10 km. Volunteers rescued 256 birds", - stated in the Telegram-channel of the Department.

To work involved more than 6 thousand people and more than 300 units of equipment.

Signs in the sand: fuel oil in Krasnodar Krai may reach the beaches of Gelendzhik

It will take months of work to eliminate the consequences of the tanker accident in the Kerch Strait, warn scientists

Earlier, December 16, the Governor of the Krasnodar Territory Veniamin Kondratiev said that the regime of high alert was introduced in four settlements of the Kuban after the spill of oil products from two tankers. According to him, the oil spill slick has not yet reached land. Assistance has been requested from federal colleagues to carry out work at sea to prevent fuel oil from reaching the shore.

The tankers Volgoneft-212 andVolgoneft-239crashed in the Kerch Strait on December 15. There were strong squally winds and sea excitement up to 7 points in that area. In the Main Directorate (GU) of the Ministry of Emergency Situations in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol reported that more than 50 people and 11 units of equipment were involved in the elimination of the accident.

Later in the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia specified that the "Volgoneft-212" ran aground. 13 people were evacuated from the vessel. It was reported that two of them remain in a state of moderate severity, another person died. Two criminal cases were opened over the incident, one of which was reclassified as more serious.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin created a working group to coordinate the work to eliminate the consequences of the accident with tankers in the Kerch Strait.

According to Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov, it is too early to say how much oil products have fallen into the sea after the crash of the Russian tankers. According to him, the Maritime Rescue Service is preparing divers who will examine the remains of the vessels and give their conclusion. Patrolling will be organized not only of the water surface, but also of the coastline to react immediately in case of oil stains.