Oil slicks threaten Danish coast

The collision tore a hole in one side of the tanker

SCHWERIN, Germany -- Gale-force winds and high waves are hampering efforts to prevent a huge oil slick reaching the coast of Denmark.

Nearly 2,000 tonnes of oil spilled into the Baltic Sea between Denmark and Germany when a tanker collided with a freighter overnight on Wednesday.

"The leak is one of the biggest we have seen," a coastguard spokesman said.

Six ships from Denmark, Germany and Sweden were attempting to contain the spill but Karsten Lose, of Stubbekøbing police, told CNN Denmark the operation was called off on Thursday afternoon because of high winds.

An oil slick measuring around 150 square metres is now being blown towards the Danish islands of Falster and Moen.

CNN Denmark says some 60 people are involved in an emergency operation to set up floating barriers to try to prevent the oil reaching land.

But the Environment Ministry in Germany's north-eastern coastal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern warned: "Serious pollution of the coastline has to be expected on the Danish side."

German officials said the tanker, the Baltic Carrier, was on its way from Estonia to Gothenburg, in Sweden, when it collided with a freighter taking sugar from Cuba to Latvia.

Commander Carsten Bryrup of the Danish Navy said the tanker was fully loaded, but suffered damage to only one tank.

Bryrup called the spill "quite severe" and said: "It will not evaporate because it is heavy oil."

The tanker -- a double-hulled vessel, built last year -- had a cargo of 30,000 tonnes of oil. The collision ripped a 20-metre hole in one side.

Officials said oil is no longer leaking from the tanker, which is at anchor in rough seas. Neither vessel is in danger of sinking and no crew members were injured in the collision.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Oil spill after ships collide
March 29, 2001

CNN Denmark

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