A merchant fuel ship carrying one thousand tons of fuel, sank on Friday April 15, off the coast of Gabes in Tunisia raising environmental concerns.
The environmental ministry stated that water had permeated the the ship, reaching a height of two metres, which made the ship to sink. The cause of the incident was attributed to poor weather.
All seven crew members aboard the ship have been rescued to safety,as the Tunisian authorities have continued working round the clock to avert any environmental disaster that may arise as a result of the incident.
The fuel ship was reportedly heading from Equatorial Guinea to Malta, and upon sensing danger, sent a distress call seven miles away from southern city of Gabes.
Environmental organisations have noted that the Coast of Gabes has continued to suffer major environmental pollution due to industrial plants in the area constantly emptying waste right into the very sea of the incident.