Rescuers in the Russian region of Tomsk have begun a clean-up operation in the Ob River after two barges collided this past weekend, causing an oil spill, the regional branch of the Russian Emergencies Ministry said on Monday
NOVOSIBIRSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th October, 2020) Rescuers in the Russian region of Tomsk have begun a clean-up operation in the Ob River after two barges collided this past weekend, causing an oil spill, the regional branch of the Russian Emergencies Ministry said on Monday.
Two moored barges in the Kargasok district of Tomsk region collided due to strong winds on Sunday. The collision damaged a drainpipe connected to a tank on one of the barges, causing oil to spill into the Ob River.
"The hole was quickly repaired by the company operating the vessel. There were no casualties. The spill area is being demarcated with the help of a 150-meter-long [492 feet] containment boom," the ministry said in a statement.
The Western Siberian Prosecutor's Office previously said that despite the leak, swift containment measures had prevented an environmental disaster. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
