Oil spill brings Port of Antwerp traffic to a halt
Shipping traffic in the Port of Antwerp has come to a standstill following an oil spill from a vessel. "The impact is significant and it is unclear how long this will last," the port authority said on Friday.
The leak is believed to have occurred while the container ship MSC Denmark VI was being bunkered in the Deurganckdok on Thursday. Authorities have deployed an aircraft to assess the extent of the damage.
According to the latest information, the leak has been contained. However, a large quantity of oil has entered the Scheldt and the dock itself. As a result, all vessel movements have been suspended, with no ships currently able to enter or leave the port.
The port authority also mentions "a risk of impact on nearby nature areas" in a statement on its website. "We are doing everything possible to minimise both operational and ecological damage." Located inside the Scheldt estuary, the port area in Antwerp has 580 hectares of protected nature.
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges is the second-largest port in Europe, handling roughly 290 million tonnes of cargo annually and connecting to more than 800 destinations worldwide.
#FlandersNewsService | Illustration © BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM
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