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Senegal Battles Major Pollution Threat After MT Mersin Explosions
Following a distress call from the heavily-listing vessel Panamanian-flagged oil tanker, MT Mersin, off Dakar in the night of 27 November, Senegal’s authorities succeeded in rescuing all 22 crew. They reported that the engine room had started to flood just after they heard four explosions outside the ship.
Since Ukrainian drone attacks on two sanctioned Russian tankers in the black sea took place the next day, there is speculation that although the Turkish-owned tanker Mersin is not part of the dark fleet, she may have suffered a similar fate because she is carrying Russian hydrocarbons.
The Senegalese authorities immediately set up an emergency response team which is fighting day and night to prevent the Mersin’s 30,000 MT cargo of hydrocarbons from causing an explosion and/or a major pollution incident.
An anti-pollution boom has been set up around the vessel and a Senegalese tanker with a maximum capacity of 3000 MT deadweight, the Touba Tawfekh, has been mobilized to pump the fuel from the Mersin.
The vessel’s technical manager, Beskitas, have issued the following statement:
Information provided by Budd Senegal (budd.senegal@budd-pni.com)