Dubai, 27th Oct. 2011 (WAM) -- A joint federal and local technical team overseeing the salvage of a diesel-laden cargo vessel which sank off the Umm Al Qaiwain coast on Saturday has completed spot survey and evaluation of the wellbeing of the ship as part of the first phase of a rescue action plan, a senior UAE official said today.
The team is working around the clock to safely salvage thesunken ship loaded with 450 tonnes of diesel. Dr. Maryam Al Shenasi, Undersecretary of Ministry of Environmentand Water, said the team of experts, specialists and divers from the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA), UAE Coast Guard, Umm Al Qaiwain Police, National Transport Authority, and Umm Al Qaiwain Municipality, met today to follow up the implementation of the salvage plan of the ship, identified as the White Whale. She added that divers from the Coast Guard and a marine salvagecompany had observed a continuous outflow of diesel from the tanker though smaller than the level of the last two days. ''Striving for uninterrupted nine hours, the divers managed to stop the oozing of diesel from the tanker, which settled 35 metres under the sea,a depth that gives indication to the possibility of renewed seepage in a later stage depending on directions of sea currents and speed of winds. Al Shenasi said that the team was updated on an aerial reconnaissance mission conducted by the UAE Air Forces. The report, she explained, indicated that the oil spill had begunto disperse and scattere into an area stretching about two nautical miles. ''The Army helicopter will fly again tonight to monitor the situation and update the team with any further development. Based on assessment of the first phase, the second phase will get underway during which a time framework will be drawn to gradually contain of the diesel leakage,'' she added.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2011.
