Kühlungsborn Oil Tanker Fire Raises Environmental Concerns
Kühlungsborn Oil Tanker Incident
The director of the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research (IOW), Oliver Zielinski, is watching the burning oil tanker ‘Annika’ in the Mecklenburg Bay with great concern. 'This ship is loaded with 640 tons of heavy oil, just a few kilometers from the coast, and we have strong west winds,' Zielinski told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 'In the worst-case scenario, this could end up in a very sensitive shallow sea ecosystem.'
Zielinski emphasized, '640 tons is a large amount of heavy oil and could cause massive environmental damage.' He hopes that this does not happen. 'The response measures are already underway.'
Current Situation
According to the Schwerin Ministry of the Environment, there have been no signs of water pollution from the fire on the Baltic Sea near Kühlungsborn. The ship is anchored and in communication with a tugboat. Firefighting teams from Rostock, Kiel, and Lübeck are en route by helicopter. Three vessels are already combating the flames from the outside.
As for the cause of the fire, no information has been released yet. The IOW states that it is a non-university research institution dedicated to interdisciplinary marine research in coastal and marginal seas, with a focus on studying the Baltic Sea ecosystem.
This article was prepared using information from open sources in accordance with the principles of Ethical Policy. The editorial team is not responsible for absolute accuracy, as it relies on data from the sources referenced.