Tanker, container ship collide off Dutch coast

Tanker, container ship collide off Dutch coast

2010-10-13 00:07:08 GMT+7 (ICT)

AMSTERDAM (BNO NEWS) -- A Greek tanker carrying kerosene, which is use as aircraft fuel, on Tuesday collided with a Cypriot container off the Dutch coast, but initial reports say the spill is minimal, officials said.

The Mindoro - Cardiff Marine's Greek tanker - was left with a five-meter-long hole on its side, leaking kerosene into the sea around 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) off the coast of Sceveningen in The Netherlands. The Jork Ranger container ship received some damage, but was given permission to continue its way to Rotterdam.

The crew acted quickly, pumping the leaking kerosene out of the sea and into an additional tank on the ship. Most of the escaped kerosene evaporated and the little left is expected to evaporate soon.

No kerosene was found two hours after the accident, and since aircraft fuel is light and evaporates quickly, the Dutch coastguard said there was no environmental risk.

The Mindoro remains at sea, but it is expected to be towed away later in the day. The cause of the accident remains unclear, and there were no injuries reported.

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