Mediterranean: Oil spill moves from Syria to Cyprus after power outage – Overseas News

In the eastern Mediterranean, an oil spill threatens after an accident at a Syrian thermal power plant!

An oil spill is spreading off the coast of Syria. He could reach Cyprus on Tuesday. The first thing that could be affected is the northern part of the island, southern Cypriot authorities warn and provide assistance to the north.

The first reports of a hot oil spill came from a power plant in the Syrian port city of Banias last week. Syrian state news agency Sanaa said the leak was caused by an accident.

The Syrian government told the pro-government newspaper Al-Wadan on Monday that a committee had been set up to investigate the cause of the crash.

Accordingly, two to four tons of heating oil leaked from the power station.

Banias is about 160 kilometers from Cyprus. Early satellite images showed a 36-kilometer oil spill off the Syrian coast, but recent images suggest the oil spill could be much larger.

Dutch journalist Wim Schweizenberg posted another satellite image on Twitter that showed the area of ​​the carpet – he now estimates it covers an area of ​​1000 square kilometers.

However, the Cypriot Fisheries Ministry said it was a relatively thin oil slick rather than a thick oil film. Cypriot authorities have offered their assistance in handling oil to northern Cyprus.

The island has been divided since 1974. At that time the northern part of the Mediterranean island was occupied by Turkey. Northern Cyprus is not recognized by the international community except Turkey.