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ATHENS - The Greek government said today it could take weeks to pump hundreds of tonnes of oil trapped in the tanks of a sunken cruise ship near a Greek island.
Environmentalists have warned of a huge oil slick unless fuel is immediately removed from the tanks of the Sea Diamond, owned by Louis Cruise Lines, which sank on April 6, a day after running aground off the idyllic island of Santorini.
"We are pushing so that the fuel pumping procedure is completed as soon as possible," Merchant Marine Minister Manolis Kefaloyannis said in parliament. "It is the company that will collect the insurance that is responsible for the pumping out."
More than 1500 passengers and crew were evacuated from the Sea Diamond after it hit a reef just metres from the port of Santorini and listed. A French tourist and his daughter are missing and feared drowned. For almost two weeks, vessels have been battling a limited oil spill but fears of a much bigger disaster are growing as about 400 tonnes of fuel oil remain inside the ship.
If the oil leaks out, it could result in a 70 sq km oil spill and pollution along 25 km of coastline.
When asked when he thought the pumping would take place, Kefaloyannis said: "In a few weeks."
Santorini welcomes hundreds of thousands of tourists each year and is one of the country's most spectacular and upscale tourist destinations.
The cruise company has attributed the sinking to human error. A Greek prosecutor charged the captain and five other crew members with negligence.
- REUTERS
