A furor over failure to fully contain an oil spill from a small tanker that sank under mysterious circumstances in the early morning hours Sunday off the greater Athens area continued on Thursday, as tar-like fuel slicks blackened popular beaches and the leftist government's environmental credentials.
A furor over failure to fully contain an oil spill from a small tanker that sank under mysterious circumstances in the early morning hours Sunday off the greater Athens area continued on Thursday, as tar-like fuel slicks blackened popular beaches and the leftist government's environmental credentials.
More questions than answers remained days after the Agia Zoni II went down, especially the reasons for the maritime accident.
For instance, first reports put only two crew-members aboard the vessel out of a full complement of 10 to 11 crew-members. Additionally, it remains unclear if the vessel was sailing in the area, anchored or gradually moving in what merchant seamen call the "dead zone".
The primary criticism against the government and state services is that cleanup efforts were delayed, given that estimates point to only about 300 tons of mazut fuel oil aboard the vessel having leaked, leaving some 2,000 still in its hull.
In statements to the press, the owner of the ship owning company that managed the vessel, Theodoros Kountouris, denied that the ship was unseaworthy and that it lacked proper certification. He also claimed that the ship is not insured for loss, only for damages to third parties.
"There's no such thing (indemnity), I'm ruined," he said.
In a bid to deflect intense criticism over his handling of the maritime disaster, Shipping Minister Panayiotis Kouroumblis told reporters that the situation in the affected Saronic Gulf will improve in 25 to 30 days. The minister, who is visually impaired, also blamed the sea currents for carrying the pollution east, southeast towards the so-called "Athenian riviera".