Greenpeace has warned of a “potential environmental disaster” after two oil tankers collided near the Strait of Hormuz
ByGABE LEVIN Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A collision between two oil tankers just east of the world’s most critical oil choke point, the Strait of Hormuz, could bring about a potential environmental disaster, Greenpeace said on Thursday.
The two giant tankers, ADALYNN and Front Eagle, crashed Tuesday in the Gulf of Oman and caught fire before the Emirati national guard intervened to evacuate crew members. No injuries were reported, according to Emirati authorities.
Satellite data from NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System showed heat signatures in the area early Tuesday morning.
Greenpeace said it had reviewed satellite imagery that showed a plume of oil stretching up to about 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) from the crash site. The 23-year-old tanker ADALYNN belonged to a so-called Russian “shadow fleet” – known to operate older ships below basic security standards – and may have been carrying around 70,000 tons of crude oil, the group said.
“This is just one of many dangerous incidents to take place in the past years,” said Farah Al Hattab of Greenpeace’s Middle East and North Africa division, adding that su