Oil Spill In Russia's Komi Republic Covers Over 136,000 Square Feet - Authorities

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th May, 2021) Russia's Rosprirodnadzor environmental watchdog estimated that the oil spillage in the Republic of Komi has spread to an area of almost 136,700 square feet, the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said on Friday.

Earlier in the week, the local emergency services reported iridescent film on the surface of the Kolva river near the town of Usinsk. The spill is said to have been caused by the depressurization of a pipeline in the Nenets Autonomous Area. Head of Russia's Komi Republic Vladimir Uyba said on Thursday about 6-7 tonnes of oil had been spilled.

"The contaminated area is at 12,725 square kilometers [136,970 square feet], the amount of spilled oil is approximately 4 tonnes," the ministry said in a statement, adding that administrative investigations are underway.

This is not the first time the republic has to deal with an oil spill caused by a depressurized pipeline as a similar incident took place in October last year.