Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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November 11, 2007

Russian Oil Tanker Splits Apart in Black Sea, Spilling Tons of Fuel
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1A363A5:A6F02AD83191E1601B18D1462CF50B267F0EB4B66EA3A89D Russian officials
call oil spill 'an environmental disaster'  A Russian tanker at anchor
in the Kerch Strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov has
broken in two in a fierce storm, spilling some two thousand tons of
fuel oil into the sea.

Authorities say 13 crew members of the Volganeft-139 were trapped
aboard a section of the ship at mid-day Sunday awaiting rescue. 
Russian officials are calling the oil spill an environmental disaster
that could take several years to clean up. 

Separately, Russian maritime officials say two freighters carrying
sulfur have sunk in the strait, and two Turkish cargo ships have run
aground nearby in the Black Sea.  A sixth ship, a Russian vessel
carrying scrap metal, was reported sunk outside the Ukraine port of
Sevastopol.

Authorities said multiple rescue operations were under way today, as
heavy winds and high seas continued to batter the region.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.




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