JAKARTA: An oil tanker carrying millions of litres of fuel has crashed in eastern Indonesia, spilling some of its cargo into an area of rich marine biodiversity, energy company Pertamina said yesterday.
Workers had been transferring petrol and diesel from the MT Patriot Andalan to a tugboat in port at the island of Ternate in the Maluku chain when strong waves pushed the vessel onto a jetty head and other port structures. The boat, which was carrying seven million litres of fuel, was damaged in several places and diesel was leaking into the sea from a broken compartment, said state-run Pertamina in a statement.
The company declined to say how much oil had been spilled after the accident late Tuesday.
He said a team of some 20 people could be seen attempting to contain the spill.
AFP
