Fuel-laden ship sinks off Tunisia
A tanker carrying 750 tonnes of diesel fuel from Egypt to Malta sank yesterday in the Gulf of Gabes off Tunisia's southeast coast, sparking a rush to avoid a spill. "The ship sank this morning in Tunisian territorial waters. For the moment, there is no leak," local court spokesman Mohamed Karray said. The Equatorial Guinea-flagged Xelo was headed from the Egyptian port of Damietta to the European island of Malta when it requested entry to Tunisian waters on Friday evening due to bad weather. Tunisian authorities evacuated the seven-member crew. The last maritime accident involving the country was in October 2018, when Tunisian freighter Ulysse slammed into the Cyprus-based Virginia anchored about 30 kilometres off the northern tip of the French island of Corsica, sending hundreds of tonnes of fuel spilling into the Mediterranean.
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