Senegal rushes to avert oil spill

1/12/2025 5:51

Senegalese authorities are racing to prevent a potential oil spill after water entered the engine room of the Panamanian-flagged oil tanker Mersin near Dakar's coast.



The vessel is owned by Turkey's Mersin Shipping Inc and managed by Besiktas Shipping, according to data from the London Stock Exchange Group.



The incident, which led to the vessel issuing a distress signal, occurred overnight from November 27 to 28, prompting the deployment of tugboats and specialized teams from Senegal's navy and maritime authority.



Authorities did not give details about the incident.



All crew members were safely rescued with no reported injuries.



It added that immediate measures included stopping the leak, transferring the fuel cargo, and deploying an anti-pollution boom around the tanker as a precautionary step.