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Oil from sunken tanker off UAE to be removed |
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| ABU DHABI: January 31, 2000 | ||
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ABU DHABI - Work is to begin soon to remove heavy fuel oil from a tanker which sank off the United Arab Emirates and refloat the vessel, the UAE Federal Environment Agency said.
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The company in charge of floating the Honduras-flagged Al Jazya 1 tanker started preparations to pipe the oil to one of its ships, the agency said in a statement. Work would be completed within 24 hours. Divers had plugged most of the leaks in the UAE-owned vessel and an oil slick caused by escaping fuel had been brought under control. "Divers and coastguard teams are observing the area to ensure no new leakage occurs," the agency said. Some oil was still floating in a few areas on the waters' surface. Officials have said about 300 tonnes of oil leaked from the 80-metre (260-foot) ship which sank in shallow water on Monday in a shipping lane a few kilometres (miles) off Abu Dhabi. The statement said that 100 municipality workers were helping to clean the coast, adding that there were few birds or sea animals in the area.
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REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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