site.btaEnvironment Ministry: No Pollution Due to Tanker Stranded near Ahtopol

There is no pollution from oil products due to the stranded tanker near Ahtopol, the Environment and Water Ministry said on Wednesday.

The Black Sea Region Basin Directorate in Varna had taken samples of the sea water between Sozopol and Rezovo, which provided data on the state of the sea water. The results of the emergency monitoring of the sea waters near Ahtopol do not show values ​​above the limits, and neither the presence of oil products, polychlorobiphenyls, benzene nor ethylbenzene has been detected, the Ministry emphasized.

The Ministry added that they continue to monitor for potential pollution in the Black Sea after the attacks on merchant ships.

Officials of the General Directorate Border Police (GDBP) carried out an onboard inspection of Kairos. The purpose of the inspection was to determine whether it was safe for other persons to board the vessel, GDBP told BTA. Subsequently, Maritime Administration officials also conducted an inspection.

GDBP indicated that the three seafarers who had remained on board the tanker were replaced by three other seafarers selected from those who had been evacuated in the preceding days. 

On Friday, the Gambian-flagged Kairos ran aground off the coast of Ahtopol, with a ten-member crew on board. Afterwards Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev and Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Grozdan Karadjov met with Turkish Ambassador Mehmet Uyanik to request clarification from Turkiye regarding the entry of the oil tanker in Bulgarian waters.