Oil fuels spilled from the shipwreck of a cruise ship that sank off Antarctica were posing a serious threat to the environment, Argentine Environment Secretary Romina Picolotti said on Saturday.
The spill, which formed a 8-km pollution belt in nearby seas, was still within control, Picolotti said after visiting the scene, quoting experts.
He also said that if the crack in the cruiser's hull became bigger, resulting in the leaking of all the remaining fuels in the shipwreck, the ecological damage to nearby seas could be disastrous.
Argentine authorities have informed the Canadian travel company G.A.P. Adventure, who owns the cruiser, of the situation, demanding the firm shoulder the consequences.
The cruise ship Ms Explorer struck submerged ice off Antarctica and began sinking on Friday. About half of the more than 150 passengers and crew who survived arrived in southern Chile on Saturday.
Source: Xinhua
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