The
oil tanker carrying more than 350,000 litres of bunker oil sank on
Tuesday Dec Dec 09,2014 on a major river flowing through the Sundarbans after being hit
by a cargo vessel.
Oil slick line the banks of the Shela River after an oil tanker sank in
one of the world's largest mangrove forests, threatening wildlife in the
UNESCO World Heritage site of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh.
Officials said on Friday Dec 12,2014 the
slick had spread over up to 70 km of the Shela river, a major sanctuary
for aquatic animals in the Sundarbans. At least 20 canals connected with
the Shela as well as another major river, Pashur, have also been
affected.
The oil spill is threatening several types
of animals including rare Irrawaddy dolphins, a senior official of the
Bangladesh Forest Department said.
“The risk of
damage to the biodiversity is high but we have yet to confirm any deaths
of major animals including dolphins and crocodiles,” said Tapan Kumer
Dey, chief conservator of forest wildlife.
The sunken oil tanker was salvaged on Thursday, more than 30 hours after it sank, and two of its six containers were badly damaged, said M. Giasuddin, an official of the company that owns the vessel
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