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Over 71 metric tons of fuel oil-contaminated sand, soil removed in southern Russia

According to the ministry, divers inspected the two crashed tankers and discovered no new oil leaks

KRASNODAR, January 1. /TASS/. Russian emergency workers and volunteers have removed more than 71 metric tons of sand and soil polluted with fuel oil from the coast in the Krasnodar Region following the crash of two tankers in the Black Sea, the Emergencies Ministry said in a statement.

"The Russian Emergencies Ministry personnel and volunteers have collected and removed a total of 71,383 tons of contaminated sand and soil since the start of the clean-up operation," the statement reads.

According to the ministry, a 56-kilometer-long section of the coast has been inspected, while divers inspected the two crashed tankers and discovered no new oil leaks.

Meanwhile, monitoring teams have reported new fuel oil spots on a beach in the city of Anapa following last night’s storm.

Fuel tanker crash

The Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 tankers crashed on December 15. One crew member was killed, while others were evacuated. According to emergency services, the tankers were carrying approximately 9,200 tons of fuel oil. The oil leak polluted a vast area of the Black Sea. Efforts are underway to deal with the aftermath of the oil spill.